Heaven's On Fire
by CrazyWriters
Summary: The Cavalry's back and ready for more action. But they might get more than they bargained for. Plus someone new comes to town that could spell trouble for The Cavalry or be a change for the better. Or both! Third Story in The Cavalry Series. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Heaven's On Fire**

**Sequel To: First Mistake & Nobody's Hero**

**Rating: M**

**Pairings: Jim/Khandi, Cosmo/Stacey & Sam/OC**

**Full Summary: The Cavalry's back and ready for more action. But they might get more than they bargained for. Plus someone new comes to town that could spell trouble for The Cavalry or be a change for the better. Or both!**

**Spoilers: Season 6 (Bang Bang & Way to Go - mostly)**

**Feedback: Please. It's always welcome and much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: We own a majority of the plot. We don't own all the characters except for: Khandi Brass, Little Jimmy Brass, Sammy Brass, Katie Brass, Noah Renfro, Zoey Renfro, Stacey Renfro and Casandra Riggs.**

**Author's Note: If you are just reading this please read **_**First Mistake **_**and **_**Nobody's Hero **_**first to fully understand the characters and our concept with the series. Also, we used to be MidnightCrime & Brassfan24 but have decided to use one name, CrazyWriters, for the both of us. Thanks. Enjoy the reading... Ciao.**

/6 Months Later - LVPD - Jim's Office/

With five screaming kids in the house always fighting with each other, work started to seem like a vacation for the Cavalry. Although, the last fifteen hours had been absolute madness. What had started out as a domestic violence call, had turned into a bloody massacre because now they had three bodies on their hands, plus a wounded victim/suspect, and no murderer.

Jim was sitting at his desk when the phone rang. "Brass." he answered.

"Jim? Willie Cutler was in the room when his wife was shot." Grissom said on the other end.

"So, that means Willie pulled the trigger or he's covering for his brother." Jim stated. "And that would explain why Sammy showed up at the Lucky Dragon, Willie lost quite a bit of money there."

"Right."

Jim hung up the phone and took off out of his office. He made his way down the hall looking for Khandi. He walked into her office and found her there with Sam and Cosmo. "Hey, I need you guys with me." Jim said.

"What's going on, honey?" Khandi asked getting up from behind her desk.

"We gotta get to the Lucky Dragon before Willie Cutler does something he's gonna regret."

Sam and Cosmo stood up and followed Jim and Khandi out of the office. "So, Willie was behind it the whole time?" Cosmo asked.

"I don't know. Either he is or he's covering for his brother Sammy." Jim said glancing back over his shoulder.

"Son of a bitch. I knew there was something off about him." Sam said as they walked out to the parking lot.

The Cavalry walked over to Jim's Charger and piled in. Jim got behind the wheel, Khandi took shotgun and they put the kids in the back. The kids being Sam and Cosmo. Jim started the engine and peeled out of the parking lot.

/Lucky Dragon Casino/

Jim pulled the Charger into the parking lot of the Lucky Dragon. He parked and the Cavalry piled out and made their way to the building. They walked into the lobby and met up with the SWAT team leader. "What's the situation?" Jim asked.

"He's holed up on the top floor with a hostage. This was after he shot a security guard."

"Where's the negotiator?" Khandi asked as they walked toward the elevator.

"About an hour out."

"Well, I'm here now." Jim said as they all got on and made their way up to the top floor.

"Jimmy, what are you planning on doing?" Khandi asked him concerned.

"Someone needs to talk Willie out. Now, I've talked to him before I think I have the best shot."

"Jim, think about it. Willie's unstable, you don't know what he's capable of doing." Sam said.

"Cosmo's unstable and we all know how to handle _him_." Jim said smirking at Cosmo.

"Why am I the one who gets picked on all the time?" Cosmo asked.

"Because you make it so easy for us, Cos." Khandi said smiling.

Just then the elevator opened and they made their way out and down the hall. The SWAT team started clearing out rooms trying to figure out what room Willie had shut himself up in.

They had all the rooms clear except for one. A SWAT guy took a swipe card and tried to open the door. Just then a shot blasted through the door and the four members of the Cavalry drew their weapons. "Guess this is the room." Jim stated.

"No shit, honey." Khandi said looking at Jim with a raised eyebrow.

/Lucky Dragon Casino - Hallway/

Ten minutes later the Cavalry were all in Kevlar vests. Jim was standing off to the side of the door and had his cell phone out. Khandi was on the other side of the door and Sam and Cosmo were on the other side of the hallway.

Jim clicked his cell phone on and gave his orders. "The kill word is 'Jim'."

Khandi didn't like the sound of that at all. She looked over at Jim. "You couldn't pick a different word?"

"It's easy to remember." Jim said. "Alright, I'm gonna call Willie now." He flipped open his cell phone and was connected to the room.

They heard the phone ringing in Willie's room and they waited for him to answer. Finally he picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Willie? It's Jim Brass, remember me?" Khandi, Sam and Cosmo watched Jim carefully. Not knowing what Willie would do.

"If you don't leave, I will kill her." Willie screamed into the phone.

"Willie I want to come in and talk to you. Will you let me come in?" Jim asked.

"How do I know you won't trick me?"

"Look out the peep hole, Willie, I'm not armed." Khandi looked at Jim with more concern then she ever had in her life. Why the hell was he going into a room with a lunatic gunman and unarmed at that? After five years of marriage, she still hadn't figured Jim out. But then he could say the same thing about her.

Jim moved around to stand in front of the peep hole. When he was standing there he spoke to Willie again. "Okay, I'm gonna hang up so you can see me." Jim said and clicked his phone off. He waited until he noticed Willie looking out the peep hole. "See, Willie, no gun. I just want to talk to you."

They heard the lock on the door slide free and the door opened. Sam and Cosmo were about to move up with Jim, when he stopped them. They returned to their positions and Jim looked at Khandi. "It'll be okay, honey." he said to her and took a deep breath before he entered the room.

Jim reached his hand out and pushed the door opened. He entered the room and saw Willie with a gun to a woman's head. "Shut the door!" Willie ordered.

Jim shut the door and walked a few steps toward Willie and his hostage. "Willie, why don't you let her go?"

"Take one more step and she dies." Willie said pressing the gun to her temple.

"No one's gonna die, Willie, not you, not her, not me, not Sammy, not anyone." Jim said continuing to walk.

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, I'm sure about that." Jim said confidently.

/Hallway/

Khandi, Sam and Cosmo were standing right outside the door and trying to listen to what was going on inside. "It's too quiet in there." Khandi said looking at Sam.

"Jimmy, knows what he's doing. He'll be okay." Sam said placing a hand on Khandi's arm.

"I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but I don't want to lose Jimmy."

"You won't, Khan, Sam's right, he'll be okay." Cosmo stated.

/Hotel Room/

"I need you to do something for me. I need you to let this woman go and I'll dial up your brother downstairs." Jim said.

"Where is he?"

"He's in the holding room. Which is in the basement of the casino."

"He's just trying to help me."

"Look, I'm just trying to help you too, Willie. So point the gun at me and let this nice young woman go. Come on."

"No way."

"Point the gun at me Willie. I'm gonna call, hold on."

"I want to talk to him."

"Hold on." Jim said and dialed a number on his cell phone.

Willie pointed the gun at Jim. "Don't lie to me. You're lying."

"Hey, I wouldn't lie to you. You have the gun. Why would I lie to you?" Jim asked.

"You really have my brother?"

Jim continued dialing and Warrick picked up on the other end. "Brown."

"This is Brass. I need you to get Samuel Cutler on the line. I'm with his brother Willie and he'd like to talk to him. Go to the holding room and get Samuel Cutler on the line and call me back." Jim stated never taking his eyes off Willie.

"Is Willie with you now?"

"Yes, he's here with me and he'd really like to speak to his brother."

"We're still looking for him in surveillance. It could take some time.." Warrick said.

"How much time?" Jim asked.

Willie started to wave the gun around. "I don't see his face, she dies."

"I need you to get Samuel Cutler up here as soon as possible."

"Okay, Brass, were doing the best we can. You hang in there and take care of yourself. We're gonna find him."

"Thank you." Jim said and hung up the phone. He looked at Willie. "He'll be here. So I want you to point the gun at me." Willie raised it slowly. "That's good. Not at her. It's just you and me now. I'm the hostage, alright?" The woman climbed on the bed and Jim looked at her. "What's your name?"

"Jackie."

"Jackie. It's gonna be okay, Jackie." Jim said and then turned his attention back to Willie. "It's just you and me now. This is all gonna be over soon."

/Hallway/

Khandi moved away from the side of the door and joined Sam and Cosmo on the other side of the hallway. A SWAT member moved to where Khandi had just vacated and he was holding a battering ram.

Now all they could do was wait and hope this situation ended with no one getting hurt.

/Hotel Room/

Jim and Willie were now sitting. Jim seemed to be doing a good job of keeping Willie calm, by letting him talk. "Yesterday... I spent five thousand dollars on a hooker because I thought I was getting a fifteen thousand dollar promotion. When I went to work, I got the news that I'd been 'passed over'."

"So, now you're five large in the hole, huh?" Jim asked still looking at Willie.

"The way I saw it, I was fifteen in the hole. So, I went to a cash machine and I wired myself 50K. Every cent I own. For a second I was up, I was killing 'em. And they were serving me cocktails and calling me sir. And then the pit boss got involved. So I called Sammy."

"What happened when you got home?"

"Things got worse." Willie told Jim about Sammy killing his wife. "Sammy told me to stay put. And he said I should clean up the mess. He said he was going to take care of me." Tears were forming in Willie's eyes.

"Why didn't you call the cops?" Jim asked calmly.

"I can't turn him in. And I knew I'd get blamed."

All Jim did was stare at Willie.

/Hallway/

Khandi was going nuts out in the hallway. "What the fuck is going on in there?"

"Hey, Khandi, take it easy. Jim hasn't used the kill word yet. Let's look at that as a good sign. Maybe he'll be able to talk Willie out and no one will have to get hurt." Sam said trying to reassure her.

"Yeah, have faith in him. I know he'll get out of this." Cosmo added.

"I do have faith in Jimmy, Cosmo. It's what Willie will do that's worrying me." she said and leaned back against the wall and sighed.

/Hotel Room/

Jim was still letting Willie talk and trying to keep him as calm as he could. "I tried to find him myself. I figured I could get him to Mexico or something." Jim just nodded. "I drove around for hours. Nothing. Till I went back to my office and that's when I saw Cowboy Dan and Roger. And I knew what Sammy meant when he said he was gonna take care of me. He was gonna give me a clean slate. He was gonna kill everyone that wronged me."

Jim looked at Willie and then to a terrified Jackie, who was still trembling on the bed. "But she hasn't wronged you. Jackie hasn't done anything to hurt you. So why would you want to hurt her? Let's cut her loose." Jim prayed he was making some progress with Willie and hopefully would be able to get Jackie out of the room before anything bad happened.

"I don't want to hurt anybody." Willie said.

"That's right, Willie, you don't want to hurt anybody. You kill someone, even by accident, you can never take it back. People never look at you the same way again. You know what? You can't look at yourself the same way again either." At that moment Jim was starting to get tears in his eyes, just thinking about Officer Bell and the toll that whole situation had taken on his life.

/Hallway/

Khandi was still leaning against the wall, when suddenly she pushed herself away from it. "I'm going in there."

"No! Khandi, you can't. If you go in there now it could blow everything." Cosmo stated.

"I can't stand it. I hate being out here not knowing what's happening. I'm scared. I'm scared for Jimmy." she said and fought back the tears.

Sam pulled her into a hug. "Shhh. Everything's gonna be alright."

/Hotel Room/

"Me and Sammy, we used to be so tight." Willie said to Jim.

"Mmm." Was all Jim replied.

"And that stupid car. He always felt so guilty about dragging me into that. But it wasn't his fault."

"Well..." Jim started to say as his cell phone went off. Willie jumped up and pointed the gun at Jim. "Just the phone. Just the phone. Take it easy." Jim stood up and pulled the ringing phone from his pocket. He showed it to Willie and then answered it. "Yeah?"

"Jim?" Grissom's voice said on the other end. "Sammy Cutler's dead. He died in a car crash in Mexico two months ago. Willie had to know. He's been playing us."

Jim stared at Willie and knew at that point things were gonna get real ugly. "I got it. Yeah, thanks." Jim closed his cell phone and put it back in his pocket. "Hey Willie? Sammy's not coming up. But I guess we both know that, right?"

"Yeah." Willie said still pointing the gun at Jim. "It's a good thing I have the gun."

/Hallway/

Khandi pulled out of Sam's grasp and walked over to the door. "Why can't we hear anything?"

"The doors and walls in this joint are probably pretty thick." Cosmo stated.

Khandi turned and glared at Cosmo. "Now's not the time to be a fucking comedian, Cosmo. Jimmy's in there and could be in serious danger."

Just then at that moment they heard Jim yell.

/Hotel Room/

Jim was staring smugly at Willie. He knew what was about to happen. He just prayed that he came out of it in one piece. Just then he yelled the kill word. "JIM!"

Willie fired two shots at Jim. One hit him in the vest and the other entered just by his right armpit.

As Jim fell to his knees the SWAT man smashed the door opened with the battering ram and the Cavalry burst into the room. The first thing Khandi saw was Jim on his knees just before he collapsed onto his back.

Sam and Cosmo entered the room firing and both men took Willie down. He took six shots to the chest, hit the bed and fell to the floor.

Khandi was kneeling beside Jim, who was on his back and coughing up blood. Khandi didn't like the look of that. Bleeding from the mouth after being shot was never a good thing. It meant that a lung had been punctured. But Khandi did her best to try and get Jim to relax. "Jimmy! Jimmy, it's Khandi, honey. You're gonna be alright. Jimmy! Stay with me okay." Khandi looked out into the hallway. "Get the EMT's here, NOW!" she screamed.

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jim was on the floor trying to reach out and grab someone... anyone. Khandi took his hand and tried to keep him still. The EMT's got there and tended to him quickly. "Ma'am, you'll have to move and give us some room to work." one paramedic said.

"I'm not leaving him." Khandi said with tears falling from her eyes.

Just then she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Khandi, let them help him." Sam said pulling her into his arms.

Jim had been hurt bad before but this was the first time Khandi was there to witness it and it terrified her. She pulled out of Sam's arms and looked down at her hands. She saw Jim's blood all over her and started to cry harder.

The EMT's had finally loaded Jim onto a stretcher and Khandi followed them out of the hotel room. They rolled the stretcher onto the elevator and made their way down to the lobby. Khandi looked at Jim. He had a tube down his throat to help him breath. She knew something like this was going to happen the minute Jim stepped foot into that room. Why did she let him go in there unarmed? Why did she let him go in there at all?

They reached the ambulance and loaded Jim into the back. Khandi hopped in the back with him and held his hand. Sam and Cosmo jumped in Jim's Charger and followed the ambulance to Desert Palm Hospital.

//Desert Palm Hospital//

The paramedics rushed Jim into the ER. Jim was semi-conscious and watching everything flash before him. He saw lights, the paramedics, there were even officers there and they looked terrified at the sight of their fallen Captain.

Jim moved his head again and saw Khandi. She looked so worried and she had tears streaming down her face. All Jim wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay but he felt himself slipping away.

He tried everything in his power to stay in that moment with her but the darkness that kept calling him was so peaceful and there was no pain there. The paramedics pushed the stretcher through the ER doors and Khandi was left standing helplessly on the other side of them.

"Fifty-five year old male. GSW to the right anterior chest. Entering at the level of the deltoid and AC joint. Minimally responsive. He's a cop. Tachycardic is in the 120s, BP's 86 over 40 and dropping, 02 stats in the 80s with assisted ventilation..." the paramedic informed the doctors as they transferred Jim from the stretcher to the ER table.

"Okay, we're losing a lot of blood here. We need two large-bore IV's. Run the fluids wide, he's extremely hypotensive."

Khandi was watching the whole time through the ER doors. All she could do was pray that Jim would be okay. Then suddenly the monitor beeped and Jim flatlined. Khandi screamed as Sam and Cosmo came up behind her. "NO! JIMMY!"

Cosmo pulled her into a hug while they watched the doctors work on Jim. "He's in V-fib!"

"Paddles!" the doctor called and zapped Jim. There was no response. "Three hundred!"

"Three hundred." a nurse repeated.

"Clear!" he zapped Jim again but still there was no response. "Come on, come on! Come on. Three sixty!"

"Three sixty!"

"Clear!" he zapped Jim one more time.

Just then the monitor started to beep again and Jim moved his head. "He's out of V-fib."

//Flashback//

Jim and Khandi were sitting on the deck of their new house. It was bigger than the last one they had and since that one was burned down by the Chinese mafia they didn't really have a choice about moving.

Khandi looked at Jim and knew that he had something on his mind. "You want to share?" Khandi asked.

"Hmm? What?" Jim said jolted back to reality.

"You seemed bothered by something. Want to share it?"

"I was thinking about Ellie."

"Ellie?"

"I never told anyone about the time I went to L.A. Ellie called me to help her find her friend Dakota. So naturally I went out there to help her."

"Of course you did, Jimmy, I know you love her."

"I do. But I found out some things that a father would never want to know about his daughter."

"What happened, sweetie?" Khandi asked moving closer to him and taking his hand.

"I know how Ellie spends her time. The kind of company she keeps. I know what she does to get by. I mean I was in L.A. and sitting in my car watching her work a corner on Hollywood Boulevard. But I don't see it. All I see... is a six year old little girl with pigtails, playing with crayons and singing a little tune to herself." Jim said as he got tears in his eyes.

"I know, honey. You look at her through a father's eyes. You only see the little girl you want to see. Not the young woman she's become."

"The thing is, if anything happened to me, I don't think Ellie would... uh... would care."

"I know she would, Jimmy. She loves you. But she's too stubborn to show you. I wonder who she gets that from?" Khandi said smiling at Jim.

"I want to believe that. I really do, but everytime I see her, it always ends up in an argument. And then we're worse off then before."

"One day she'll realize what she's missed by not being with you." Khandi said and took Jim's face in her hands. "I couldn't ask for a better man to be the father of my children."

Jim leaned in and kissed her. "That's why I need you to do something for me."

"I'll do anything for you, Jimmy."

"I want to give you my power of attorney." Jim said and stood up. He walked over to the table and picked up the papers and a pen and brought them back to Khandi. He handed her the papers and sat back down. "There's no one in this world I trust more with my life. Or my death."

Khandi took the papers and looked at them. "Jimmy, I really don't want to think about your death."

"It's more for medical decisions, in case anything should happen. I mean we've both had some close calls."

"Yes, we have." Khandi stared down at the papers and finally signed them. If Jim trusted her with his life, she wasn't about to tell him no. After all she was his wife, she should have the final decision in a medical situation.

//Present - Desert Palm Hospital//

Khandi was in Jim's room holding his hand. She was determined about not leaving his side. Sam didn't want to disturb her and decided to talk to the doctor himself. He and Under-Sheriff McKeen were standing outside Jim's room. Cosmo had gone home to inform Stacey about what had happened.

Dr. Stewart approached them and filled them in on Jim's condition. "Captain Brass was shot twice. The first bullet hit him in the vest. The second entered through his axilla, hit an artery and is lodged near his heart. He has internal hemorrhaging."

"Any neural damage?" Sam asked.

"We won't know until we stop the bleeding. _If_ we stop it. Have next of kin been notified?"

"His wife's with him now. She has his power of attorney." Sam informed the doctor.

"Well, she may have a decision to make. I'll let you know." the doctor said and walked off.

"How _is _Khandi holding up?" McKeen asked.

"As well as can be expected. I mean given the circumstances."

"I've known Jim a long time. He'll pull through." McKeen said as his phone rang. He pulled it out and answered it. "McKeen." He listened for a minute and then replied. "Alright. I'll be right there." He hung up and turned back to Sam. "Burdick wants to see me."

"Go. I'll keep you informed of any changes." Sam said as McKeen walked off down the hall.

Just as McKeen was leaving, Grissom showed up and walked up to Sam. "How is he?"

"He's lost a lot of blood and is still on a respirator."

"Has anyone called his daughter?" Grissom asked.

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Someone has to tell her. After all she is his daughter. I'll call her." Grissom said. He pulled out his cell phone and walked a little ways down the hall.

Sam walked over to the window of Jim's room and watched Khandi with him. He tapped on the glass to get her attention. She looked up at Sam and waved him in. Sam walked into the room and stood beside Khandi. "How's he doing?"

"He still won't wake up. I've been talking to him since they put him in here but he hasn't responded."

"Keep talking to him. I know you don't think it's helping but it is." Sam said giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Gil's here and he's trying to get a hold of Jim's daughter."

"Ellie?"

"Yeah, he thinks she should know what's going on."

"She should. Jim would want her to know." Khandi said and turned her attention back to Jim.

Sam decided to leave her alone with Jim and made a quick exit from the room. He ran into Grissom. "So, did you talk to her?" Sam asked.

"I got the answering machine. I left a message." Grissom said as his cell phone went off. "Grissom. I'll be right there." He hung up his phone and looked at Sam. "DB on the train tracks in Henderson." With that Grissom walked off.

//The Cavalry's Home//

Cosmo walked into the house still not believing what had happened. Stacey had heard the door and walked out to the entry way to see who was there. "Hey, honey, what are you doing home early?" Stacey asked and then noticed the grim look on Cosmo's face. "What happened?"

Cosmo sat down on the couch. Stacey sat down beside him and he slowly turned his head toward her. "We had a hostage situation and Jimmy went in to talk him out and... and..." Cosmo was choking back the tears.

"What happened, honey?" Stacey asked.

"The asshole shot Jimmy." The tears were now falling from Cosmo's eyes.

"Oh my God, is he okay?"

"No! I saw him lying there on the floor bleeding. The blood was coming out of his mouth and it was like seeing Newman all over again. Jimmy can't die. I can't go through that again. I can't lose another person I'm close to."

Stacey put her arms around Cosmo and hugged him. Just then Little Jimmy walked into the room. "What's wrong, Uncle Cosmo?" he asked.

Stacey and Cosmo looked up at Little Jimmy and Cosmo wiped his eyes, placed his hand on Little Jimmy's head and ruffled his hair. "Nothing, buddy, everything's going to be okay."

//Desert Palm Hospital - Jim's Room//

Dr. Stewart walked into Jim's hospital room and walked over to Khandi. "Mrs. Brass, could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course." Khandi said letting Jim's hand go and standing up. They walked out into the hallway and stopped just outside the room.

"Mrs. Brass, we managed to stop the bleeding but his condition is critical."

"What can you do to help him?" Khandi asked, worried and could feel tears stinging her eyes.

"We could try to remove the bullet."

"What are the risks?" Khandi asked.

"If we go in, the vertebral artery could be impacted. He could bleed out or stroke out. Permanent incapacitation."

"And if you don't operate?" Khandi asked the tears now running down her face.

"The bullet could migrate into the artery and, again, cause a stroke or kill him. Or it could stay there for years and do nothing. He might never wake up."

"What are the odds?"

"Mrs. Brass, this isn't a casino. I don't give odds. It's your call."

Khandi didn't even hestitate with her decision. "Do it. I want you to operate. Just save my husband, please."

Dr. Stewart left Khandi alone and she went back into Jim's room. She sat down by his bed and took his hand. "The doctor's are going to help you, Jimmy. You're gonna be okay and back home with me and the kids before you know it." Khandi leaned in and kissed Jim on his forehead. "I love you, Jimmy. Please, you have to come back to me."

A few hours later Khandi was still in Jim's room but now she was sitting next to an empty bed. Sam came back and was standing in the doorway. "Hey." he said.

"Hey. They took Jimmy into surgery." Khandi said standing up.

"Come on. Let me buy you a cup of coffee."

"Thanks I think I need it."

As they were walking down the hallway they heard an argument at the nurses station. "I want to see him. He's my father. He's a cop."

"I understand that, miss, but he's in surgery. You'll have to wait until he's out."

"No, I want to see him now!"

At that moment Khandi walked up behind her. "Ellie?"

**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ellie turned at the sound of the voice. "What?" she snapped.

"I'm Khandi. I'm your dad's wife. Do you remember me?" Khandi asked.

"Yeah. I remember you. So, I guess you're the one who's in charge? How long is his surgery gonna take?"

"Probably a few hours." Khandi said.

"Look, I just got off a bus and I would really like to take a shower and change and maybe get a little rest. Do you know where I can get a room?"

"You can stay with us while you're here." Khandi offered.

"Why? So you can keep an eye on me? You wanna check my arms? Looks like daddy told you all about me, huh? I don't even know why I bothered to come." Ellie grabbed her purse and stormed off down the hall.

Khandi was about to go after her when Sam stopped her. "I'll go after her. Maybe I can convince her to come back to our place."

"Thanks, Sam."

"It's no problem. You should be here when Jim gets out of surgery."

Sam left Khandi standing in the hallway and went off after Ellie. He found her outside the hospital having a smoke. "Oh great. What... did she send her bodyguard after me?"

"No. I'm gonna take you back to our place so you can shower and get some sleep. Then I'll take you back here when your dad's out of surgery."

"What? You live with them?"

"Yeah I do. So come on, let's go." Sam said and walked off toward his car.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I'll find a room on my own." Ellie snapped. She threw her smoke on the ground and walked off.

Sam stopped and watched her walk off. He decided to go home anyway, even if Ellie wanted to be stubborn and not go with him.

//Cavalry's Home//

A half hour later Sam pulled his car into the driveway. He shut off the engine and sat behind the wheel for a few minutes. He couldn't understand why these bad things kept happening to them. Well, actually, he could. It was part of the job description. There were crucial risks involved and Jim risked his life to save the life of the young woman that Willie had taken hostage.

Stacey and Cosmo were watching him through the window. "What's he doing out there?" Stacey asked.

"Thinking. It's been a rough day." Cosmo said and walked out to Sam's car. He tapped on the window and then got in the car. "You okay, Sammy?"

Sam sighed and looked over at Cosmo. "No. It's not looking good for Jim."

"Hey, don't say that. Jimmy's gonna be fine." Cosmo stated.

"Get out, Cosmo!" Sam yelled.

"What?" Cosmo asked shocked.

"Get the fuck out of the car!"

Cosmo opened the door and got out. Sam started the engine and peeled out of the driveway. Cosmo stood there and watched Sam's car disappear around the corner. He turned around and made his way back into the house.

"What happened?" Stacey asked as she was feeding the kids dinner.

"Nothing. Let's just eat." Cosmo said and sat down.

//LVPD//

Sam, unaware of what he was doing, pulled his car into Jim's parking space and got out. He made his way into the building and down to Jim's office. He sat down behind the desk and opened the top drawer. He pulled out a bottle of scotch and a glass. He poured himself a drink and downed it. For the next half hour he just downed glass after glass until the bottle was empty.

Just then a woman appeared in Jim's door. Sam didn't notice she was standing there and when he went to pour himself another drink, he found the bottle empty and threw it at the door. The woman in the doorway moved out of the way before it had a chance to hit her. It hit the wall behind her and smashed through the window, sending glass all over the hallway.

"Hey! What the fuck's your problem?" the woman yelled.

"Why do you care?"

"You almost hit me with that bottle. Now what the fuck's your problem?"

"None of your business. Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm Lieutenant Casandra Riggs. I'm supposed to report to Captain Brass."

"Which one? There are two of them." Sam said and stood up from the chair. He stumbled around the desk and almost fell on his face.

Casandra caught him and helped him onto the couch. "Okay, I think you've had enough to drink. Why exactly are you drinking?"

"To numb the pain."

"Is it working?"

"No. I keep seeing him lying there bleeding."

"Who?"

Sam looked up at her. "Why do you care? You didn't know him. I knew him." Sam said using the past tense.

Casandra didn't know what to say to that. "Okay, so if there's two Captain Brass', which one are you?"

Sam laid his head back on the couch. "I'm neither. I'm Lieutenant Sam Gerard." he replied and closed his eyes.

Casandra was about to reply when she noticed Sam was snoring. She lifted his feet onto the couch and left the office.

//LVPD - The Next Morning//

Casandra made her way into the LVPD looking for Captain Brass again. She didn't care which one. She went to Khandi's office but she wasn't there. She made her way back to Jim's office. She got to the doorway and saw that Sam was still there. She noticed he was trying to sit up. She walked over to the door and stood there staring at him.

Sam looked up and saw her. "Can I help you?" he asked quietly.

"You obviously don't remember me. I'm the woman you almost hit with that scotch bottle of your's."

"I did? I don't remember that." Sam said holding his head.

"Obviously not. Do you have a hangover?" she asked.

"What do you think?"

"Well, it serves you right for drinking a whole bottle of scotch."

"Who the hell are you, lady?" Sam asked and stood up from the couch, only to fall back down again.

"I'm Lieutenant Casandra Riggs. I just transferred here. I'm supposed to see Captain Brass but neither one of them seem to be around. What are they? A bunch of flakes?"

Sam looked up at her. If looks could kill, Casandra would be dead as a doornail. "You better watch what you say about them." Sam warned.

"Why? They're supposed to be here to okay my transfer and I haven't seen either of them." Sam stood up and walked over to Casandra. He looked her right in the eyes and then proceeded to walk past her. "Where the hell are you going?" Casandra called after him.

"To be sick." Sam called back.

//LVPD - Two Hours Later//

Sam was coming out of the bathroom, for yet the tenth time that day, when he ran into Sofia Curtis. "Hey, Sam, you got a minute?" she asked.

"Not now, Sofia." Sam said and started to walk off.

"I just got a heads up from a friend in Payroll at PERS. Ellie Brass just called about Jim's pension." Sofia called after him and Sam stopped dead in his tracks. "She wanted to know how much there was and was she a beneficiary."

Sam turned around and looked at Sofia. "Are you kidding me?" he asked.

"This girl is circling like a vulture. Jim doesn't need this kind of energy around him now. Now... Ellie's been in a lot of trouble with the law. It wouldn't be difficult to chase her out of town."

"Look, Sofia, don't worry about Jim's pension. Khandi won't let her get anywhere near it." Sam said and walked off down the hall.

//LVPD - Hallway - An Hour Later//

Officer Metcalfe escorted an irritated Ellie down the hallway. She pulled her arm out from his grip. "All right, look, are you guys arresting me or what?"

"Hey, don't get in my face. All he told me was bring you here." Metcalfe said as they stopped in front of Jim's office.

//LVPD - Jim's Office//

Sam was there waiting for her. "Hi. Come in." Ellie shrugged and stepped into the office. She noted the nameplate on the desk. "This is your dad's office."

"Yeah, I can read." Ellie said.

"Have a seat."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Ellie moved around the desk and sat in Jim's chair. She propped her feet on the corner of the desk. She looked over and found a framed photo of a blonde-haired girl on the desk. It was her. She chuckled as she seemed to remember. "Oh, wow."

"That's the reason we asked you to come in." Sam said.

"That's like loving a puppy. That's easy. You know, did you ever think that maybe he's better off just lying there and not waking up? A lot easier."

That made Sam angrier than he had been before. He walked around the desk and looked at Ellie. "Listen, your father happens to be one of my best friends. And contrary to what you may think, he's a damn good guy. So, no, I don't think it would be better if he didn't wake up. Maybe you should drop the tough girl act and show some compassion for you father who's lying in the hospital fighting for a another chance at life."

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Khandi was standing outside Jim's room talking to Dr. Stewart. "The surgery went smoothly but he's not completely out of the woods yet." He walked over to a table and poured himself a cup of coffee and one for Khandi.

"He looks so frail and helpless. Nothing like the man I love." Khandi said taking the cup of coffee.

"It's to be expected. He lost a lot of blood. It'll take some time for him to get his full strength back."

Just then the alarm went off and they heard an announcement over the P.A. system. "Code blue! Code blue!"

Dr. Stewart rushed into Jim's room along with a whole medical team. The coffee cup that Khandi had been holding fell to the floor and she stood watching through the window, terrified. Jim had flatlined yet again. The nurses rushed and injected something into his IV line.

At that moment Sam and Ellie walked up to Khandi. They looked through the window and saw the doctors and nurses attending to Jim. Suddenly Ellie looked as terrified as Khandi and she grabbed the sleeve of Sam's jacket.

Finally the monitor started to beep normally and Jim slowly opened his eyes. He looked over to the window and saw Ellie. He moved his hand and weakly waved to her to come into the room. Ellie looked at him and even though she was thinking about what Sam had said to her, she shook her head. She was glad he was okay but she wasn't as ready for this as she thought she was going to be.

Ellie let go of Sam's sleeve and ran off down the hall. Sam saw Jim looking in her direction and turned around, only to realize she wasn't there. He looked back at Jim and then to Khandi, hoping that this was the last scare Jim was going to give them.

//Desert Palm Hospital - An hour later//

Jim was now awake and breathing on his own. The doctor removed the tube from his throat but left him hooked up to the IV. Khandi was now in the room with him and for the first time, since this whole ordeal happened, she was smiling. "Here have some water." she said helping him put the straw in his mouth.

He took a drink and looked at his wife. "Thank you."

"Anytime. You gave us all quite a scare." Khandi said.

"Yeah, well, thanks for not pulling the plug."

"It didn't even cross my mind." she said smiling. "I'm so glad you're okay, Jimmy."

"Hey, you didn't think a bullet was going to stop me, did you?"

"I don't think anything can stop you."

"Don't say that. There is one thing."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"Losing you."

"It's never gonna happen."

"How are the kids?"

"They're fine. I don't think they realize what's going on. Although Little Jimmy keeps asking for you."

"And Ellie?"

"I don't know where she went. Sam went to try and find her."

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she ran away."

"She ran away, Jimmy, because she was scared. Not because she doesn't love you."

"I want to believe that." Jim said looking at his wife.

"Sam brought her to your office. He said she had tears in her eyes when she saw her picture on your desk."

"Of course I have her picture. She's my daughter."

"I know, Jimmy, I want to love her too. But she's making it very difficult."

"I know, honey, you gotta give Ellie time."

"Time?" Khandi asked, "Time? Jimmy, Ellie and I didn't meet off on the best foot. How much more time do you want me to give her?"

"Well, she hasn't exactly been around the last few years. I'd be scared too if I had to come back to all of this."

Khandi looked at Jim. She didn't know what to say. Khandi just reached out and touched Jim's face. "I love you, Jimmy." Was all that she said.

"I love you, too, baby." he said smiling at her.

//Desert Palm Hospital - Outside//

Sam found Ellie outside leaning against the wall of the hospital having yet another smoke. "You know those things are bad for you." Sam said leaning against the wall next to her.

"Thanks for the lecture, doctor."

"Why did you run away? You asked me to bring you back here."

"I can't face him right now." Ellie said.

"You can't face him? Or are you afraid that seeing him like that actually scares you that he was close to not being here anymore?"

"Fine! I was scared, okay? Is that what you want to here. The cold-hearted bitch is scared."

"Hey, you're not a cold-hearted bitch. You did come here, you must care about him."

"I do care about him, he's my dad."

"Then why don't you go up there and tell him. He needs to hear that right now."

Ellie looked at Sam and dropped her butt to the ground. She stomped it out. "No, I can't see him right now." she said and walked off.

//Jim's Room//

Cosmo showed up at the hospital with Little Jimmy. They walked up to Jim's room and Little Jimmy ran when he saw Khandi. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Khandi heard his voice and when she saw him she stood up from her chair and took him into her arms. "Hey, baby. Are you being a good boy for Aunt Stacey and Uncle Cosmo?"

"Yes, mommy." he said and looked around for Jim. "I want to see daddy."

"Okay, but you have to be careful. Daddy's sick right now." Khandi said and brought him into the room.

Sam came back inside and stopped beside Cosmo just outside of Jim's room. Cosmo looked at him. "You owe me an apology you know." Cosmo said.

"Yeah, Cosmo, I know. I know but..." Sam said and cut himself off.

"But what?"

Sam looked at him. "But I don't even like you, man."

Cosmo laughed. "Come on, let's go see Jimmy." They walked into the room and saw Jim laying in his bed with Little Jimmy. "He kept asking for you, so I thought I'd bring him by."

"Thanks, Cos." Jim said.

"How are you feeling, Jim?" Sam asked.

"I'm gonna live." Jim stated.

"Thank God. You gave us all quite a scare." Cosmo said.

Little Jimmy lifted his head up and looked at Jim. "You hurt, daddy?" he asked.

"Yeah, buddy, I hurt. But daddy's gonna be okay." Jim said.

"Okay. I love you, daddy." Little Jimmy said and hugged him carefully.

"I love you, too, Jimmy."

Khandi watched Jim with their son and couldn't imagine him not being here to watch their children grow up. But at least now she didn't have to think about that because Jim was going to be alright.

**TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

//LVPD//

Sam walked into the department, when he saw Casandra heading right for him. Sam went to turn around and head in the other direction when Casandra caught up to him and turned him around to face her. "Okay, I'm getting sick and tired of being railroaded around here."

"Now is not a good time." Sam said and started to walk away.

"It's never a good time. I want to know where Captain Brass is, either of them, and why they're never around here!" Casandra called after him.

Sam stopped in his tracks and turned around. He headed back to her and stopped mere inches from her. "You want to know where they are?"

"Yes, I do. I've been waiting two days to get my damn transfer okay'd."

"They're at the goddamned hospital!" Sam yelled.

"I'm sorry I..."

Sam cut her off. "You come in here and shoot off your mouth about people you don't even know and about circumstances that are none of your goddamn business. Do us all a favor and get the hell out of here."

"Excuse me, but did someone shove a stick up your ass. Just because I didn't know, doesn't make it right for you to try and rip me a new asshole!"

Sam stared at her. "Who the hell do you think you are to come in here and tell me what's right?"

"Look, Sam. I'm here to do my job. And I'm not here to tell you how to do yours. All I am after is to try and get a new life started. Now if you want to be a class A jerk then be my guest."

"My best friend is lying in a fucking hospital bed from a gunshot wound and fighting for a second chance at life. But you're right, I'm a class A jerk."

"And I'm sorry about that. But if you have any consolation as to why I wanted a transfer you would know that I understand where you are coming from. But like I fucking said, you over grown leprechaun, it would have been nice to have been informed why I was getting railroaded, and not jumped on for wanting a goddamn fucking answer!"

Sam stood there. No one, in his entire life, had ever called him an over grown leprechaun. Where the hell did that come from?

"That's right. You're a fucking over grown leprechaun. With no sense of why other people transfer. Or what the fuck they feel. I bet you never once fucking thought why the fuck I transferred!"

"I don't give a shit why you transferred. I have enough on my plate right now to stop and worry about you."

Casandra wanted to haul off and drive him, one. That was another notch in the wall. "You're a fucking prick you know that. I can't fucking believe you. How dare you. How fucking dare you. You have no fucking idea what the fuck is going on in my life. Just like I don't yours. But at least I am goddamn nice enough to try and offer something, unlike you!"

"You want me to be fucking nice? Honey, this last week, I lost the meaning of that word."

She shook her head, disappointed and fighting the break of tears. "It shows. You've lost all meaning. Either you were born cold hearted or became cold hearted."

"In this line of work, sometimes it helps to have no heart at all." Sam stated.

She took a deep breath, trying to control the emotions running wild. "You don't think I don't know that. I have most likely been on the job just as long as you; and probably seen just as much as you, if not more. I know a few things you haven't seen and never want to see."

"I could say the same thing to you. I've seen things no one in this life should ever see. But this isn't a competition. Every cop has seen bad things."

"Agreed, every cop has seen bad things." Casandra said still trying to keep her emotions in check and not throttle Sam. "But that does not mean, that you can treat me like a bitch, just because I'm getting added to the team."

"Added to the team?" Sam repeated. Then he clued in. "Oh, I get it, you think you're gonna fucking walk in here and take Jimmy's place. I got news for you, it'll never happen."

"What? What the fuck are you thinking? I don't plan on walking in here, and taking anyone's fucking place." She said even more hurt. Now it was taking all her strength not to haul off and bring him down to the ground, and pound his head in.

"Could have fooled me. Jim gets shot and you show up. It sounds like you're here to replace him to me."

She scoffed. "You have to be out of that little mind of yours. Just because an officer was wounded in the line of duty; does not mean that I am here to replace him. Ever think that I just might be an addition?"

"An addition we don't need." Sam said.

Casandra looked at him and shook her head. "How dare you." She said and stormed off.

//Casandra's Apartment//

Casandra Riggs made her way into her apartment. The living room along with the rest of the place was sparsely furnished. Since she moved to Las Vegas things were getting worse and worse for the lady. With the run-ins that she had been dealing between Sam and God else; had been pushing her to the edge. The last run-in was it. Final. And it just happened to be Sam.

She went over to the mantel and picked up the only picture that was in the house. The picture itself was beautiful. Full of greens, blues, and other cheerful colors. It was a picture of her and her family. Her husband Jack and her daughter Mackenzie.

She took a deep shaky breath. Things were just going great for her. She was ready to break. With tears now staining her cheeks she pulled out her 9mm Glock and sat down on the couch.

"Jesus. Why did he have to do that to you two?" She asked in a shaky voice. "All he left me with was this job. Why didn't he take me and not you two?"

She held the gun to the side of her face. She looked at the picture and shook her head violently. She still, a month later, couldn't believe that it had happened.

Back in Dallas, Texas, where her, Jack and Mackenzie lived, she was part of a special task force trying to bring down a notorious serial killer who was terrorizing the city. Before Casandra and the rest of the task force could apprehend him, he had already gotten to her family and murdered them right in her house. Then proceeded to taunt her and murder her partner. He was never caught. And that was what was killing her the most. That she was never able to catch the monster responsible for taking everyone she loved and cared for.

When she seen the councilor that was recommended to her, after a month the two decided the best thing was for her to transfer to another precinct and leave everything behind.

It sure now doesn't seem like the right thing.

Now she held the gun under her chin and looked at the picture. "I miss you two so much. It's my fault that you two are gone. If I just had some other kind of job. If I just never agreed to join that task force. If I just got there sooner. You two would still be in my life. And I would never be here, having… be here, making things worse for others." She choked. "I just wish I could bring you two back into my life. I can't keep living like this. Without you two."

She started to sob. She put the gun to her head and tired to pull the trigger, but she just couldn't do it. "I… how am I supposed to carry on? Jack… Mackenzie, I just can't keep going. But… I just can't say goodbye to you guys. It's just too hard to accept this. Your all I ever knew."

More tears proceeded to make their way down her face. For the memory of finding them in the living room tied up and their necks split, there was just no hiding place.

She decided to put the gun in her mouth and it shook even more violently. She looked down at the picture, tears blurred her vision as she tried to make the decision to end it all now and join her family, or to go through more torture of trying to make it through the world.

She was about to pull the trigger when a knock came on the door. She hesitated for a second when she heard the man's voice. "Casandra? Are you home? It's Sam. Please open the door."

"Go away." She yelled, trying not to choke on the tears.

"I'm not going anywhere until you open the door and talk to me." Sam said.

She swallowed hard. "I think you have said enough Lieutenant."

"Listen, I want to apologize. Please open the door."

"Apologize?" She said standing up, holding the gun at her side and the picture in the other. "Apologize? How can you apologize after all that? After all the shit you've said?"

"Look, I was totally out of line. But if you won't open the door, then I'll have to." Sam said and kicked the door in full force. The door shattered on its hinges and Sam stood there before her. He saw her face stained with tears and the gun in her hand. She saw where his eyes were trained and looked down at the gun. "What were you going to do with that?"

She sniffed, "That is none of your business."

"If you're gonna hurt yourself, I think it is." Sam said and noticed the picture in her hand.

"Well, really it is none of your business. Since that is the message I got at the station." She said turning her back to him. "And you are going to have to replace that door, you realize."

Sam glanced back at the door. "Fine, I'll replace the door if you give me the gun that's in your hand."

She turned around and glared at him. She put it in her belt at the back. "I don't think so. As far as I can tell you have your own." She said still holding the picture and wiping the tears away.

"And from what I see you shouldn't have one at all."

"What gives you the right to make that decision?" She asked walking over sitting on the couch, the picture now sitting in her lap facing her.

Sam took a few steps toward her and tried to get a look at the picture. He couldn't get a clear view of it. "I don't think you should be making any decisions for yourself right now. Let me help you."

"Help me with what, Sam? I don't need help right now. Right now, I need to be alone." She said looking up at him. She couldn't stop the tears forming in her eyes.

Sam took a chance and sat down beside her. She didn't move. Sam looked at her. "Alone is the last thing you should be right now."

She looked at him. "Why all of a sudden the change?"

"I realized you were right. I was being a total asshole. You didn't know what was going on and I should have helped you instead of treating you the way I did."

She looked down at the picture and then at him. "I understand why you were acting that way. More then you think."

Sam looked at the picture. He saw Casandra with a man and a little girl. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She looked at the picture again. "I… don't know…"

Sam took the picture from her and looked at it more closely. "Your family?" Sam asked carefully.

"Was. Till I fucked up." She said as the tears started to fall.

"Was?" Sam repeated. "What happened to them?"

"Simple. They were murdered, because of me." She choked as the tears came faster.

"Murdered. Jesus Christ. I'm so sorry." Sam said, put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

The tears were free falling now. But she pulled away. "I can't do this." She said standing up. She was still hurt over the words that he had said.

Sam placed the picture on the coffee table and stood up. He walked behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She tensed at his touch. "I'm so sorry." he said in almost a whisper.

Casandra freed herself from his grip and walked across the room. "Yeah, well, it's over now. They're gone and I can't do a goddamn thing about it. They're never coming back no matter what I do."

Sam followed her and turned her to face him. "Listen, you're right, they're never coming back. But you eating a bullet isn't going to make things better. It'll only make them worse."

"Oh, yeah. For who?" she asked still crying.

Sam looked into her eyes. He never noticed before that they were brown. "For me."

"Why would you care? You don't want me here."

"Look, I know saying I'm sorry isn't going to change what I said but I've been under a lot of stress and I took it out on the wrong person. Right now, I'm mad at everyone and everything because of what happened to Jimmy and you just happened to get into my line of fire. I was way out of line and I truly am sorry."

Casandra could here it in his voice that he meant what he said. She wanted to believe it, she really did. She needed a friend right now, more than ever and Sam happened to be the closest right now. She looked at him with tears streaming down her face. "I understand, Sam, I did the same thing."

Sam tried again and pulled her into his arms. "It's going to be okay." he said.

This time she didn't pull away. She accepted his embrace and buried her head in his chest. "It never should have happened." She cried. "I miss them so much."

"I know you do. But the wounds will heal in time." Sam said trying to comfort her.

"Thank you, Sam." Casandra said.

"For what?"

"For being here."

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Little Jimmy was still laying with Jim in the hospital bed. Khandi was beside the bed in a chair. She looked at Little Jimmy and noticed he was starting to fall asleep. "I'll be right back." Khandi said and left the room. She pulled out her cell phone and hit speed dial 2.

"Gerard." Sam said when he answered his phone.

"Sam, it's Khandi. Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you could swing by the hospital and pick Little Jimmy up?"

"Hey, no problem. I'll be right there."

"Thanks, Sam." Khandi said and hung up.

//Casandra's Apartment//

Casandra looked at Sam, "Who was that?" She asked. Her eyes were still slightly red and along with her nose. Furthermore she still was sniffing now and again.

Sam put his phone back in his pocket and looked at her. "I have to go to the hospital."

"Is everything okay?" Casandra asked.

"Yeah. I just gotta take Little Jimmy home." Sam said and then an idea hit him. "Hey, why don't you come with me?"

Casandra looked at him, with her eyebrow raised. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Why else would I have asked you?"

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Khandi walked back into the room and looked at Jim. "I just called Sam to come and take Little Jimmy home."

Little Jimmy heard that and looked at Khandi. "No, mommy. I wanna stay with daddy."

"No, honey, you have to go home and go to bed."

"No, mommy. I'll sleep here." Little Jimmy pouted.

Jim looked at Khandi and smiled. "I think it'll be okay if he stays here for the night."

"Are you sure? I've slept with him before. He likes to kick in his sleep."

"Mommy, I stay here." Said Little Jimmy, crossing his arms.

"Okay, but I'll get a bed put in here for him." Khandi said.

"No, I sleep with daddy."

"It'll be okay, honey. He'll sleep on my left side."

Khandi shook her head, smiling. "You're a brave man."

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Jim said.

Just then they heard a knock at the door. Khandi turned around to see Sam and a woman behind him. "Who's that?" Khandi asked.

Sam looked at Khandi then turned quickly to look at Casandra. "This is…" He started, wondering how Khandi was going to take the news.

Casandra took a breath. "I'm Casandra Riggs."

"Okay, but telling me your name isn't explaining who you are." Khandi said.

Before Casandra could say anything Little Jimmy smiled. "Hi, Uncle Sam!"

Sam smiled.

Casandra looked at Khandi. "Well, I don't even know who you are. But since my name doesn't help any. I'm a new addition to what around here in Vegas is known as The Cavalry."

"You're what?" Khandi asked.

"She's joining the team." Sam replied.

"Well, she certainly has great timing. Jimmy gets shot and suddenly she shows up here as a "new addition" to the team. What's the plan? To phase Jimmy out?" Khandi asked angrily.

"Khandi, honey. Don't worry about it." Jim said from the bed.

Casandra looked at Khandi and walked around Sam. "So, your Khandi Brass. Well, first off Mrs. Brass, I do not plan on replacing Jimmy. Second off, why is everyone so touchy around here about someone joining the team?"

"The team is fine the way it is. We don't need anyone new coming in and pushing anyone out." Khandi yelled.

"I'm not pushing anyone out." Casandra said defending herself.

Little Jimmy stood up on the bed. "Stop fighting." He said, frowning, and his arms were crossed.

Casandra took a breath, to try and keep herself under wrap. "Look, there is no way in hell that I am here to push him out. I was transferred here to join the team. And if you want to hate me over it be my guest." She said then looked at Sam. "I'll be outside." She said and walked away.

Sam watched Casandra walk away and then turned to Khandi. "Look, she's here as an addition not a replacement." he stated.

"I don't care. As far as I could tell the team was just fine. Why do you we need someone new?" Khandi asked.

"I think..." Sam started to say.

"Hey! Hey!" Jim interrupted. They both turned and faced him. "Look, this works out for the best. It saves me the time of finding a replacement myself."

"Jimmy, what the hell are you talking about?" Khandi asked shocked. "I knew it. She is here to replace you."

"No, she's not." Sam said.

"Okay, we'll find out when Jimmy comes back to work." Khandi stated.

"That's just it, I'm not going back to work." Jim said.

Khandi's mouth dropped. "What? That's just fu-" She started and was ready to kick the wall. "Jimmy you can't. I mean…"

"I can and I am. After what happened, I think it's time for me to retire. I came a little too close to not being here anymore and I realized I can't go through that again. I want to be here for you and the kids."

"I want you here, daddy." Little Jimmy said and layed his head on Jim's uninjured shoulder.

"This is all her fault." Khandi said and stormed out of the hospital room.

Sam got a worried look on his face. He looked at Jim and then followed Khandi out of the hospital.

//Outside//

Khandi walked out the front doors of the hospital and saw Casandra leaning against the wall. "You bitch! My husband's retiring because of you!" Khandi yelled.

"Bitch? Who are you calling a bitch? Your damn husband is not retiring because of me. I have nothing to do with it. And what is it with you damn well blaming me?" Casandra yelled back walking up to Khandi.

"Well, it's kinda funny that he started to contemplate leaving the force when you show up. And you say you have nothing to do with it?"

"I'm not saying it again, if you don't understand. I have nothing to do with it; get that through your head."

"You have everything to fucking do with it. Retirement never would have crossed Jimmy's mind if you hadn't of shown up here."

"What the fuck? What makes you think you're so damn smart to be accusing me of his retirement. Ever think that maybe it's because he has a family? I don't think that even crossed your mind. This is the first time I've ever got the chance to meet him and I could see that. So, stop your fucking beaking off and think about it and don't fucking blame me!"

"You fucking bitch!" Khandi screamed and tried to slap Casandra but someone had grabbed her arm. Khandi looked back and saw Sam. "What the fuck are you doing?"

Before Sam had a chance to reply, Cosmo was running toward them. "Sammy, let her go. Now!" he yelled.

Casandra took a step back and looked at Cosmo, Khandi then Sam. Sam let go of Khandi then stepped in front of Casandra in a protective way.

Cosmo did the same with Khandi. "What the fuck are you doing, Sammy? Why are you taking her side, a total stranger, over Khandi?"

"She's not a total stranger, Cosmo." Sam said slightly frowning.

"Cosmo, move out of my way." Khandi said pushing him aside.

Cosmo moved out of her way. "Oh, yeah, well then who the hell is she?" he asked.

"For your information. I'm Casandra Riggs." Casandra said moving next to Sam. "And who the hell are you?"

"I'm the Grim Reaper. So you better watch yourself." Cosmo stated.

Casandra looked Cosmo. "I'm also the devil, so watch yourself." She said then looked at Khandi.

Khandi glared at her and then tried to lunge at Casandra. Sam stepped forward and pushed her back. Cosmo caught her and looked at Sam. "Sam, what the fuck has gotten into you?" Cosmo asked.

Casandra looked at Sam and walked away. Sam looked at her than Cosmo and Khandi. "Khandi what has gotten into you?" He said; totally ignoring what Cosmo asked, "She didn't do a damn thing wrong. It's not her fault if Jimmy is contemplating retirement."

"The hell it isn't!" Khandi yelled.

"Whoa! Wait a fucking minute! Jimmy's thinking about retiring?" Cosmo asked.

"I don't give a shit. She is here because Jimmy wants to retire. There is no way in fucking hell I am going to let her take his job if I have to beat her into next week!" Khandi yelled.

"Hey! Will someone give me a straight fucking answer? Wait! She's replacing Jimmy?" he asked trying to get _someone's _attention.

Khandi said yes, just as Sam said no.

Cosmo looked at the two of them and shook his head. "I'm gonna go talk to Jimmy. Maybe he'll give me a straight answer." Cosmo said and made his way into the hospital.

Khandi looked at Sam and was about to say something, when he just turned around and walked away from her.

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

//Hospital Parking Lot//

Sam hopped in his car and went to see if he could find Casandra. He found her three blocks away from the hospital. She was walking down the sidewalk. Sam pulled up beside her and rolled down the window. "Come on, get in the car."

"Just go away, Sam." she said and kept walking.

"Please, get in the car."

Casandra stopped walking and looked at Sam in the car. She didn't want to get in but she knew Sam wouldn't leave her alone until she did. Sam pushed the passenger's side door opened and she got in carefully.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I've known Khandi a long time, she didn't mean anything she said. She's under a lot of stress right now. I mean her husband's lying in a hospital bed."

She shook her head. "Sam. Don't you think I know that? I seen him there. I'm just tired of everyone blaming me for shit I haven't done."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll get everything straightened out." Sam said and placed his hand on hers.

She looked down at his hand on top of hers than back up at him. She wasn't sure if this was really happening. "Why did you have to find me in my apartment?" she asked almost out of no where.

"What?" Sam asked, wondering if he heard her correctly. "I don't wanna think of what would have happened if I didn't."

She looked out the window. "What do I have to lose?"

Sam didn't know what to say to someone who had just lost her family. What _did _she have to lose? Then Sam looked at her. "How about a chance at life?"

She raised an eyebrow. Her stomach kind of made a funny little flip. "A chance at life? Here? Sam, you're the only one that has given me a chance here. I don't think the transfer is going to be okay'd if the one that can okay it hates my guts. Let alone everyone on the team but you."

"Now, wait a second, Jimmy doesn't hate you. He'll okay your transfer. Don't worry about it."

"Give it time and I'm sure he'll treat me the same as the one that calls himself 'The Grim Reaper' and his wife Khandi."

"Jimmy's not like that. He gives everyone a fair shot." Sam said.

She sighed. "Why are you giving me a chance? I mean…" but she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Well, your record's pretty damn impressive." Sam said and Casandra looked at him. "I had a look at your jacket. As far as the rest of the team, give them some time to adjust. They'll come around."

She shrugged. "Maybe your right. Maybe I should just move back, and let things go back to normal."

Sam suddenly pulled the car over to the curb and parked. "What do mean move back? Look, do me a favor, and stay for one month. If things haven't improved by then, then you can leave if you want to."

She looked at him, she slightly smiled. "One month?"

It was the first time Sam actually seen a slight smile on her face. It made him smile. "One month."

Now she was smiling. "Deal."

Sam's smile became wider and they looked into each other's eyes. Sam leaned forward and kissed her softly on the lips. At first, Casandra responded but then she realized what was happening and pulled away. Sam looked at her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." he said.

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Khandi and Cosmo were walking up to Jimmy's hospital room. "That fucking bitch." Khandi said still fuming mad, "How dare she walk in here and try to take Jimmy's job. Just who does she think she is?"

Cosmo looked at Khandi. "Hey, Khan, take it easy before your head explodes."

Khandi stopped and looked at Cosmo. "Look. She is here to take Jimmy's job. That fucking slut has been transferred to take his job. There is no way in fucking hell I am going to let that happen. That tramp can go back where she came from."

"I don't think she's here to take his job." Cosmo said.

"How the fuck can you say that?"

"Okay, listen, there's one way to clear this up. Check out her transfer and see when it was ordered."

"I don't give a fuck what the transfer papers say. There is no way in hell I am letting her on the team."

Cosmo walked in front of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Okay, you gotta calm the fuck down and listen to me. We check out the tranfer. If it was issued before Jimmy was shot then it proves she's only a new addition... if it was dated after..."

"It means that fucking bitch was sent here to replace him."

Cosmo nodded. "Exactly."

"But either way. I'm not letting her on the team. She can go shoot herself in the head for all I care."

"Hey, I know you're pissed off, but that was pretty harsh." Cosmo stated.

"Don't start Cosmo. I don't want to have to ground you." Khandi said marching off to Jimmy's room.

"Right, like you have that authority." Cosmo said following her.

"I heard that." She called back as she walked into the hospital room, "And I do."

"Mommy!" called Little Jimmy sitting next to his dad.

Jim looked at Khandi. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Khandi ignored Jim and picked Little Jimmy up. "Come on, baby, we're going home." she said.

"Honey?" Jim asked a little more worry apparent in his voice.

Little Jimmy tried to pull himself out of Khandi's arms. "NO! I wanna stay with daddy!" he yelled.

"Honey!" Jim said slightly raising his voice, getting her attention. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

Khandi finally looked at Jim. She sat down in the chair by his bed and started to cry. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Cosmo stood at the door, and then decided to leave them alone and go look for Sam to find out what the heck really was going on with him.

Jim's look softened. He wished that he had the strength to get out of bed and hold her. "Honey, talk to me."

Khandi continued to cry. Little Jimmy climbed off the bed and walked over to his mom. He climbed up onto her lap and hugged her. "It's okay, mommy."

Khandi had a watery smile and hugged him back. "I know, honey."

Jim watched from the bed. Wondering just what was going on. The site was heart warming, but still tore a little at his heart strings. Just what happened between the Casandra girl and his wife? What did Casandra do to her?

Khandi looked at Jim. "I'm sorry, honey, I shouldn't be taking my frustrations out on you."

"Just tell me what's going on." Jim said.

"It's just, that… Riggs. She shouldn't even be here. We don't need another one on the team to replace you. And I don't want you to retire. Jimmy… I don't want her near any of us. And to top it off Sammy was defending her!"

"I'm sure he had a good reason. But, honey, listen to me. My decision to retire has nothing to do with her. I look at Jimmy and think about Sammy and Katie and I want to be here for them. And if I go back to work, I might not be so lucky next time."

Khandi's eyes watered up again. "Honey, you're the reason I stayed in this line of work here. I can't do it with out you."

"Of course you can. Besides, Cosmo and Sam will still be there with you."

"Jimmy…" Khandi said, seeing no resolution in it. "I don't want you to retire."

"I know, but it's something I have to do." Jim replied, wishing he could hold her in his arms.

Khandi felt that there was no way to get through to him. "Even though I don't agree with it. There is no way Riggs is joining the team. And there is no way to talk you out of something you have to do. So I guess it will be just the two of us."

"The two?" Jim asked frowning.

Khandi nodded. "I have no idea what Sam is doing. And if he doesn't smarten up…"

"What?" Jim asked a little a afraid of the answer.

"Jimmy, I took personal time off. If he fuck's up, and I don't like how he is defending Riggs, who is going to take your job. I might decide to kick him out and transfer him. I hate to do it, but I might have no choice."

"Honey, take a step back here for a minute and think before you do something you'll regret later. Besides, Riggs can't take my job. If anyone's going to take my job, it's going to be you."

"Me? Jimmy, I could never take your job."

"Of course you can and you'll do a damn good job, too."

"No, they'll probably give your job to Miss Supercop."

"Khandi, stop being so stubborn and listen for once in your life."

"Jimmy I am listening. All I hear is my worst nightmare happening. You retiring!"

Jim knew he was hurting Khandi with the news of his retirement but at least this way he'd be around for his family. He looked at Little Jimmy sitting in Khandi's lap. The little guy was tuckered out and starting to fall asleep. "Here, honey, lay him in the bed with me." Khandi lifted Little Jimmy up and got up from her chair. She walked over to the bed and placed him on Jim's left side. Before she straightened up, Jim used his good arm and pulled her close to him. Then he looked in her eyes and kissed her. "Everything's going to be okay, honey."

"I hope so, Jimmy."

//Cosmo's Car//

Cosmo had really no idea where he would find, Sam. But he had a good idea. The whole thing since the shooting was going through his head. First they all almost lost Jim, and then this new girl Riggs came out of nowhere. And with the ideas that Khandi was spewing off going through his head, just made matters worse. Then to top it all off Jimmy is deciding to retire and Sam out of nowhere defending this new girl.

"Goddamn it!" He cursed to no one in particular.

Cosmo had to find out for himself why Sam went off the deep end and started defending a girl that they all didn't know. It just wasn't like Sam, and if anyone really knew Sam in Vegas, it would have to be Cosmo.

Cosmo drove down the street away from the hospital looking for Sam's car. The first two blocks he found no sign of him. But when he turned the corner on the third block he spotted Sam's car parked next to the curb. He killed his lights, pulled up behind it and shut off the engine. He got out of the car and walked up to the driver's side window. He looked inside the car but no one was there.

He turned around and was about to get back into his car when he saw Sam walking down the street with Casandra. He shut his car door again and walked up to them. "Hey, Sammy, you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"The Grim Reaper's back." Casandra commented.

"I don't get it, man. Khandi's pissed right off, Jimmy's retiring and we're getting a new member to our team that I knew absolutely nothing about." Cosmo babbled.

"That about cover's it." Casandra mumbled.

"Cosmo, take a breath. Khandi is pissed at the fact of Casandra joining. Jimmy has every right to retire, but it might not happen, for all we know. And yes, if the paper's are okay'd, then we have a new member." Sam explained.

"The paper's haven't been okay'd yet?" Cosmo asked.

"No. That would be Jimmy's job and with him in the hospital, it's now Khandi's job." Sam stated.

"Um... Khandi's taken some personal time off to care for Jimmy. So, I guess now it's your job." Cosmo informed him.

Casandra raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Just who is really in charge of this nut farm?"

"Actually, Jimmy's in charge of the Cavalry, well our unit is really called the Violent Crimes Task Force, and the homicide division. But I guess with him and Khandi out, it's all in Sam's hands." Cosmo said.

Sam looked at Cosmo and than Casandra. "Guess it's me."

"So, with you in charge, I can get my transfer okay'd. But I don't want you to do it if it'll get you in more shit." Casandra said.

"I can take care of myself." Sam said. "I'll okay your transfer."

Cosmo looked at Casandra. "Welcome to the team." he said. "I think."

"Thanks." She said with a slight smile. But something inside her said this was not going to be all it was cracked up to be.

//LVPD//

Sam drove Casandra to the station, while Cosmo went home. They walked in and headed to Sam's office. He sat down behind his desk, while she took a seat in front of it. He opened her file that was sitting on his desk and pulled out her transfer order. He looked it over and then signed. When that was done he looked at her. "Welcome to the LVPD, Lieutenant Riggs." he said smiling.

"Thanks, Sam. But I have a feeling this is not going to go over well with Khandi at all."

"Don't worry about her. I'll handle her if need be."

Casandra was grateful that Sam was on her side. At least she had one friend. And she seemed to be making some progress with Cosmo. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. But then again... only time would tell.

"Would you like to grab some dinner?" Sam asked.

"I'd love to, Sam." she said and smiled.

"Great. Come on, I know just the place."

"Glad someone knows." She said standing up watching Sam.

//Diner//

Sam pulled the car into the parking lot and shut off the engine. He got out and went around to open Casandra's door. "Thank you." she said.

Sam smiled. "Come on, they got great food in here."

They entered the diner and a waitress behind the counter smiled when she saw Sam walk in. "Sam, haven't seen you in a while." she said taking them to a corner table.

Casandra looked around, trying to get a feel of the surroundings, and almost throwing up walls around herself.

Sam placed his hand on the small of Casandra's back and guided her to one of the tables. "It's been sort of busy, Jeni." He said to the waitress.

Sam and Casandra sat down in the booth and Jeni gave them both menus. "So, what's good here?" Casandra asked.

"Personally, I like the burgers." Sam replied.

Casandra nodded. She wasn't really that hungry, but she knew she had to eat something. Considering the fact that she hadn't eaten in about two days. Which was becoming a habit over the last month. She scanned the menu and came across a roast beef sandwich.

They ordered their food and Sam looked across the table at her. He reached out and took her hand. "I'm glad you came here with me." he said.

Casandra smiled. "I'm glad you offered."

"Well, I figured you needed something to eat and this is the perfect place because no one else knows about it."

"Just you? I'm surprised you haven't taken anyone else here."

"I found this place and didn't tell anyone about it because I needed a place to get away to once in a while."

"Doesn't home count?" asked Casandra.

"Not these days. I live with nine other people."

Her mouth dropped open. "Nine people? You're kidding me. This ain't China."

"Sometimes I wish I was kidding. Believe me it ain't easy and after all this it's gonna be downright difficult."

She sighed. "And it's my fault. I mean, you didn't have to sign my transfer orders. But just who do you live with? The rest of the Cavalry?"

Sam squeezed her hand. "It's not your fault and yes that's exactly who I live with."

She gave a half hearted smiled. "You live with the rest of them. Okay then where do the rest of the six people come from?"

"Cosmo's wife Stacey's one of them and they have two kids. She's also Khandi's sister. And Jimmy and Khandi have three kids."

"That's a lot of people for one house."

"You're telling me. That's why I need this place. To get away from it all sometimes." Sam said as Jeni came to the table with their orders. Sam dug into the food. Then he noticed that Casandra wasn't touching hers. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm actually not that hungry." she said picking at her food.

"You really should eat something."

Casandra took a bite of her sandwich but that was all she could manage. She never could eat when she was upset. Sam finished his meal, paid the bill and got Casandra's food to go.

Sam drove her home and walked her up to her apartment. The landlord had fixed the door while they were out. Casandra turned around and looked at Sam. "Would you like to come in?" she asked.

"I'd love to but I better get home. I should find out what's going on."

"Sure, I understand." she said. Sam leaned in and kissed her again. She took a chance and deepened the kiss a little further but when she started to feel uncomfortable, she pulled back. "Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight." he replied as she disappeared into her apartment. Sam sighed and then walked down the hallway to the elevator. He got on and made his way down to the lobby. Things between him and Casandra hadn't started out on the right foot but he was hoping that if he did things right, he could make them a hell of a lot better.

//Cavalry's Home//

Sam drove home with Casandra on his mind. This has never happened to him before. No woman had ever had this affect on him. Sam pulled into the driveway and parked the car. He got out and made his way to the house.

He walked in and went to the kitchen to grab himself a beer. Just as he opened the bottle, Stacey appeared behind him. "How dare you." she said.

Sam turned around and looked her right in the eye. "What?" he asked curiously.

"I can't believe you treated Khandi like that. I thought you were different, Sam, but you proved to be just another asshole."

"Now, hold on."

"No, you hold on. My sister took you in when you had no place to go and you treat her like a stranger on the street. No scratch that because you treated a stranger better." Stacey was on the verge of tears. "Not only that, you okay'd her fucking transfer."

Cosmo walked into the kitchen and found the two of them. "What's going on?" Cosmo asked looking at Stacey.

"Thank you very much, Cosmo, I see you told your wife." Sam said and walked out of the kitchen.

Cosmo pulled Stacey into his arms and tried to calm her down. "It'll be okay, honey. Sam just needs to get his priorities straightened out."

"Yeah, well, he better do it soon. I don't like this side of him at all."

Just then they heard the front door close. They thought Sam had left but then they saw Khandi walk into the kitchen. Khandi looked at Stacey. "Hey, what are you doing home?" Cosmo asked. "And where's Little Jimmy?"

"I left him at the hospital with Jimmy. He was sleeping when I left. I came home to get a shower and change." Khandi replied and noticed the tears running down Stacey's face. "What's wrong?"

Cosmo looked at Stacey and shook his head. Stacey looked back at him. "She deserves to know, Cos."

"Know what?" Khandi asked with worry apparent in her voice.

Cosmo sighed and looked at Khandi. "Sam okay'd Riggs' transfer."

"What the fuck!?" she yelled and stormed out of the kitchen. She made her way to Sam's room and entered without knocking. "You son of a bitch!"

"What the hell?" Sam yelled.

"You okay'd her fucking transfer? How dare you!"

"Hey, she deserves a shot!"

"In the fucking head she does."

"Fuck you!" Sam yelled. "I okay'd her transfer, get over it!"

"I don't have to get over nothing. I want you out of here!"

"What?" Sam asked shocked.

"You heard me. I want you out of this house." Khandi left the room with tears in her eyes. It killed her to kick Sam out. This was the last thing she wanted to do but he didn't give her any choice.

**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sam stood in the middle of his room shocked. Did Khandi really just kick him out of the house? Sam shook his head and started to pack his bags. If she wanted him gone, then he was gone. Although, he really had no idea where he was going to go.

Khandi had showered, changed, and checked on Sammy and Katie before she left to go back to the hospital. She was gone before Sam came out of his room with his bags. Cosmo walked up to him. "I'm really sorry, Sam."

"Yeah, well, this wouldn't have happened if you kept your big mouth shut." Sam snapped.

"Hey, don't blame me. This whole thing never would have happened if you had of respected Khandi's feelings about everything."

Sam didn't say anything. He just turned away and left the house.

//Sam's Car//

He put the bags in the trunk and sped off down the street. Sam didn't know where he was going but a half hour later he found himself in front of Casandra's apartment building. He sat behind the wheel for a few minutes when he noticed her coming out of the building with suitcases and a few boxes.

Sam got out of the car and walked over to her. "Hey, you going somewhere?" he asked.

"I don't know where to go." she said, tears running down her cheeks. "The landlord fixed the door and left me an eviction notice."

Sam helped her with her things. "Did he say why?"

"He said he couldn't put up with that kind of violence and said I wasn't welcome there anymore."

"This is all my fault. I never should have kicked your door in." Sam said feeling guilty.

"No, if you hadn't..."

Sam understood. He didn't want to think about what the outcome would have been either. "Well, I'd say you could stay with me but..."

"I know, I'm not exactly the most popular person among the Cavalry right now. There's no way in hell Khandi would ever let me stay there."

"That's true. But I was going to say, I don't have a place for you to stay with me. Khandi just kicked me out."

Casandra looked at him, now feeling guilty herself. "I'm sorry, Sam. After all that's happened, I should just go back to Dallas."

"No. Come on, right now, we have to find a hotel to stay in tonight. Separate rooms of course." Sam smiled.

"Of course." she smiled back.

Sam placed her things in the backseat of his car and they set out to find a place to sleep.

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Dr. Stewart walked in to check on Jim. "I see you have a visitor." Dr. Stewart said looking down at a sleeping Little Jimmy.

"Yeah, he's my son. He came to see me and didn't want to leave." Jim said.

"Well, it's okay if he stays here. He doesn't seem to be any trouble. Anyway, I had a look at your current set of tests and everything seems to be great. No sign of infection, so that's good news. And if all stays well, you can go home within the next couple of days."

"That's great news. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be." Jim said.

"I understand. Get some rest and I'll check on you in the morning."

"Thanks, doctor."

"Sure thing." Dr. Stewart said and left the room.

Five minutes later Khandi showed up and smiled when she saw Little Jimmy asleep next to Jim. "Has he been asleep the whole time?" Khandi asked.

"Yeah. Poor little guy was tuckered out." Jim said. "Dr. Stewart was just here."

"I hope he had good news."

"He said my tests were great, no sign of infection and I should be able to go home in a couple of days."

"That's great." Khandi smiled.

"So, how _is _everything on the homefront?"

Khandi looked down at her feet. "Not so good."

Jim sighed. "What happened now?"

"I kicked Sam out."

"You what!?" Jim asked shocked.

"Jimmy, he okay'd her transfer. And he did it behind my back."

"Khandi, that's still no reason to kick the man out. Now, come on, this petty, childish bullshit has to stop."

"Jimmy..."

"No! So, he okay'd her transfer. So what? Let's move on with our lives. It's not the end of the world because somebody new joined the department."

"I can't believe you're saying this."

"Honey, think back to when you first came on here. How would you have felt if you were treated this way?"

Khandi sat down in the chair and looked at Jim. She knew he was right. There was no way she would have stayed in Vegas if everyone treated her horribly. But this was different. This woman was here to replace the man that Khandi loved more than anything in the world and she'd be damned if she was going to work side by side with her.

//Vegas Hotel//

Sam went to his room, where as Casandra went to hers. She set down her suitcase on the bed and looked around. She had to say that her life since Dallas has sure taken a turn. Maybe as Bugs Bunny would have put it, 'I knew I should have taken a right turn at Albuquerque.'

She walked over to the window and looked out at the bright Las Vegas lights. Up here they seemed beautiful but when you were down in the middle of it all it was overwhelming. All Casandra wanted to do was run and not stop until she reached Dallas. But then she promised Sam she would stay for a month and see how things worked out.

"What was I thinking? Exactly why am I here? I am such an idiot." She mumbled to herself.

Casandra was unaware that Sam had entered the room and was standing behind her. "You're not an idiot." he said.

Casandra jumped almost out of her own skin and spun around to face Sam. "Holy fuck! Don't ever do that again." she yelled.

Sam laughed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Casandra looked at him. "Can I breathe now? I think my heart is still beating." She cursed as she tried to catch her breath.

Sam was still laughing at her. "Come on it's good to be scared now and again. It let's us know we're alive."

"Sometimes I wonder." She said shaking her head. "Next time you do that you'll be on the floor."

Sam took a step back from her. "I don't doubt that for a minute." he said holding up his hands in surrender.

She smiled, and slightly laughed. "I said next time. Not this time."

Sam returned the smiled. "I'll remember that. So, how are you holding up?"

"About as well as to be expected I guess. How about you?"

"Okay, but I've had better days." Sam said and sat down in a chair by the window.

Casandra didn't move she looked at him. "I'm sorry about Khandi kicking you out. Maybe I should talk to her…"

Sam interrupted her. "I appreciate that, but I don't exactly think that's a good idea. I mean given the current circumstances and everything."

"Okay, listen. If I never came here to begin with this shit would have never happened. The last thing I want to see is you living out of a hotel, with a bottle of liquor in one hand, and a cigarette in the other, with Jerry Springer yelling on the TV. And to boot, sitting in your underwear."

Sam smirked. "Hmm. You're picturing me in my underwear? Although, why picture it when you can see the real thing." he winked at her.

Casandra was thankful she was not drinking anything. Cause it would now be at the other end of the room. Which is good distance, through her nose. She was speechless. And she was hoping Sam didn't notice.

Sam stood up and walked over to her. He looked at her and smiled. "I can't believe you don't have anything to say."

She shrugged. "Consider yourself lucky, Sam. You're the only person that has made me speechless."

"I'll take that as a compliment." he said and started to lean toward her.

She smirked. "Maybe it was."

Sam continued to lean forward and just as their lips met there was a pounding on the door. "Lieutenant Gerard, are you in there?"

Casandra and Sam sighed. She rested her head on his chest. "Perfect timing." She mumbled.

Sam let her go and walked over to the door. He opened it and saw two uniformed officers standing on the other side. "What's going on guys?" Sam asked.

Just then a head popped into the doorway. It was Cosmo. "Hey, Sammy."

Casandra went over to Sam and looked out the door. "Take your sticky pad with my name on it and shove it up your ass Grim Reaper."

Cosmo looked at Casandra. "Hey, I came here to try and help you two."

"What do you want Cosmo?" Sam asked annoyed.

"I was thinking maybe we could all go to the hospital and talk to Jimmy."

"About what?" Casandra asked.

Cosmo sighed. "Maybe talking to him about this whole fucking mess might get it sorted out."

Sam looked at him. "Are you nuts?"

"Cosmo. Think about it. Maybe he just might have the same thinking as his lovely dear wife." Casandra said looking at him like he really was nuts.

Cosmo shook his head. "It's worth a shot isn't it. Unlike Khandi, I know Jimmy will be willing to listen."

Casandra shook her head. "I don't think this is such a good idea. God knows that Khandi is going to be there, since it is her husband we are going to talk to."

"Look, I know it's going to be difficult but if we're going to resolve any of this shit we all have to be in the same room to do it." Cosmo said and felt like he was getting nowhere.

Sam thought for a moment. For once Cosmo was right. "Casandra, Cosmo is right, for once. We should talk to Jimmy. If anyone can, maybe he can see it our way, and get Khandi to understand."

"Are you all nuts? You two are the only ones who know what really is going on. Khandi doesn't get it, and she right now is like God trying to strike me down. You can't be fucking serious." Casandra said walking to the bed and sitting down, frowning.

Sam followed her and sat down beside her. "Okay, if you don't want to go then we don't have to go." Sam said and glanced at Cosmo.

Cosmo shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Are we going to be the three outcasts of the Cavalry now?"

"It wouldn't exactly be considered The Cavalry than, would it Cosmo?" Sam stated.

"Huh?" Cosmo asked confused.

"You need more than one person to be considered a Cavalry." Casandra said.

Cosmo was getting frustrated. "Can we cut the crap, and just go talk to Jimmy?"

Sam looked at Casandra. "What do say? You willing to give it a shot?"

She looked back. "What's the worst that could happen?"

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Jim was laying in his hospital bed asleep, along with Little Jimmy, who was starting to snore a little. Khandi came back to the room with a glass of ice water for Jim. When she saw he was asleep she set the glass down on the table beside his bed and laid down on the cot that one of the nurses had brought in for her.

Unfortunately that was about as peaceful as it was going to get. Cosmo, Sam and Casandra walked up to the hospital room. Before they entered, Casandra stopped both of them. "Now what did I tell you. God is a female who is laying in the cot contemplating my death."

Sam took Casandra by the shoulders. "Okay, just take a deep breath and then go in there and wake them up."

"Me? You go and wake them up." she said looking into Sam's eyes.

Cosmo decided to take the lead and went into the room first. "Rise and shine." he said.

Khandi looked up from the cot and when she saw Casandra she jumped up. Only she had forgotten that she was wrapped in a blanket and fell flat on her face.

Casandra started to laugh and Khandi looked up at her. "Glad you think this is so fucking funny." Khandi snapped.

"I'm sorry, are you alright?" Casandra asked.

"I'm fine." Khandi said, got up and untangled herself out of the blanket.

All this had woken up Jim and Little Jimmy and they were laying in the bed looking at the scene unfolding around them. "What the hell is going on here?" Jim asked.

Sam shrugged. "Sorry about that."

Casandra ventured a little farther. "Cosmo's idea for us to come down here and talk to you."

"Me? Why?" Jim asked.

Cosmo sighed. Just his night. "Because, we need this shit of a fucking mess sorted out so that we can all get fucking along is why!" He said trying not to lose his temper.

Little Jimmy stood up. "Uncle Cosmo. Don't use bad language."

"I guess he told _you_, Cos." Jim laughed and then turned serious again. "But you're right, we do need to straighten this whole mess out."

Casandra looked at them. "Don't tell me. I have to be here."

Sam looked at Khandi. "Can we call a truce on this whole matter?" he asked.

Khandi looked cautiously at Casandra. "Long as what you all are saying is true."

Casandra sighed. "Like I keep saying. I am not here to take over Jimmy's job. God! I feel like a fucking recording."

"I've explained that to her." Jim said.

"And I heard you." Khandi stated. "That's why I'm considering dropping the matter."

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Yes, really."

Casandra sighed. "Thank God. Now maybe we can move on and get to work."

Just at that moment Khandi's mom, Jennifer, walked into the room. Khandi saw her and walked over to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Jim was doing." she replied and then noticed Casandra standing off to the side with Sam. She turned her attention to Casandra. "Cassie, you're here."

Casandra looked at Jennifer and the two women enbraced. "I'm glad you're here, mom." Casandra said.

"What the hell did you just call her?" Khandi yelled and tried to lunge at Casandra.

Cosmo grabbed her and pulled her back. "Hey, take it easy, there's probably a good explanation for this."

"Really? I'd love to hear it." Khandi snapped.

Jennifer let Casandra go and turned her attention back to Khandi. "I don't think the hospital is the place to discuss this matter. Maybe we should go to your house."

"No! We're not going anywhere until I find out why she's calling you mom." Khandi was beyond pissed.

"Khandi, really this is not the place to discuss the matter. We should go someplace else." Jennifer said.

"Fine. Let's go outside." Khandi said. She and her mom left the room followed by Casandra. Khandi turned to look at her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm a part of this." Casandra said.

"Like hell you are!" Khandi yelled.

"She's right, Khandi, she is a part of this." Jennifer said.

Khandi stopped far enough outside Jim's room so they wouldn't hear the conversation. Then she turned her attention toward her mother. "Okay, so let's hear the story. I can't wait to hear the explanation."

"Do you want the short or long version?" Jennifer asked.

"Give me the short version."

"Okay, the short of it is, is that Casandra is your father's daughter."

"WHAT!?" Khandi yelled. "No, I don't believe it!"

"I think you better give her the long version, mom." Casandra said.

"Don't you dare call her that!" Khandi yelled.

"Listen, Khandi, I know you're angry but let me explain." Jennifer said trying to calm her daughter down. "It was a long time ago and your father was undercover. He had a moment of weakness and it happened to have produced a child."

"How could you stay with him after that?" Khandi asked shocked.

"Honey, in those days wives looked the other way at their husband's indiscretions. I forgave him and we moved on with our lives. I hope you can forgive him too."

"No, I worshipped him and now I find out he was a lying cheat."

"Khandi, that's enough. He was still your father."

"Yeah, right. God knows how many other kids he has running around. Once he found out you'd forgive him for cheating on you, do you really think he stopped?" Khandi asked.

Jennifer didn't want to listen to any more of what her daughter had to say. She slapped Khandi hard across the face. "I will not tolerate you speaking about your father in that manner."

Khandi looked at her mother in shock. "That's fine!" Khandi yelled. "You'll never have to hear me say anything. I never want to see or talk to you ever again!" Then Khandi took off down the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

**TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Casandra looked at Jennifer. "Let me go talk to her."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jennifer asked worried.

"It'll be okay. She can't attack me anymore than she already has." Casandra said and walked off in the direction Khandi had gone.

Jennifer watched her go and then made her way back to Jim's room.

//Desert Palm Hospital - Hallway//

Casandra found Khandi sitting on the floor, with her back against the wall and crying hysterically. Casandra sat down beside her. "I'm sorry about everything's that's happened." she said. "But I still don't understand why you're acting like this."

Khandi looked over at her and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I think I might be pregnant again." Khandi confided to Casandra.

"Have you taken a test?"

"No. But I have all the symptoms of pregnancy. I have sore breasts and I'm gaining weight."

"Come on, let's go talk to a doctor and find out for sure." Casandra said standing up and then helped Khandi up.

"Why are you being nice to me after the way I treated you?" Khandi asked.

"Look, let's just forget what's happened and get past it."

Khandi nodded and they walked down the hallway.

//Dr. Stewart's Office//

They talked to Dr. Stewart and he performed a pregnancy test on Khandi. She and Casandra were sitting in his office when he entered and walked around to sit at his desk. Khandi looked at him. "So, am I right? Am I pregnant?" Khandi asked.

"No, the test was negative." Dr. Stewart replied.

"What? I don't understand, I have all the symptoms."

"I know. Have you been having headaches?"

"Yeah, but in my line of work it's not uncommon. Although I've been getting them more frequently."

"Okay, I want to perform an MRI on you."

"An MRI?"

"Yeah, just to be on the safe side. And I want to do it as soon as possible. I'm going to go book a room and get you in there tonight."

"Okay." Khandi said worried.

//MRI Room//

Dr. Stewart placed Khandi on the table and started the magnetic resonance imaging machine to take pictures of Khandi's brain. She was in there for a half hour and when she was done, Dr. Stewart said she could go back to his office and he'll meet her there with the test results.

//Dr. Stewart's Office//

Khandi was pacing back and forth while Casandra was sitting in a chair in front of the desk. Khandi stopped walking and looked at Casandra. "I appreciate you being here with me."

"Of course. You shouldn't be alone right now."

A half hour later, Dr. Stewart entered his office and told Khandi what the tests had shown. Khandi has a macroadenoma. Her pituitary gland, which hangs by a threadlike stalk from the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, has a tumor.

The normal pituitary is about the size of a pea. It is referred to as the Master Gland because it transmits signals to the thyroid, the adrenals and ovaries or testes, controling their production of hormones that dramatically affect matabolism, blood pressure, reproduction and other vital functions. Khandi's tumor measures approximately twelve millimeters, or approximately half an inch, in diameter. It's benign but won't go away on its own. Her symptoms are headaches and an overproduction of prolactin, resulting in unpleasant symptoms that mimic pregnancy.

Khandi sat there stunned at the news. How could she have a brain tumor? Dr. Stewart was explaining her options. "You can start on drug therapy that will reduce your prolactin levels and is supposed to shrink the tumor in size or you can have surgery and have it removed."

Casandra was sitting next to Khandi and holding her hand. "What's the best option?" Casandra asked.

"I would have to say surgery. Removing it would be the best route to go, otherwise you'll be taking the medication for the rest of your life."

Khandi shook herself out of her stupor and looked at Dr. Stewart. "When can we schedule the surgery?" she asked.

Dr. Stewart looked at his day planner. "I can schedule you for Friday morning."

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll be here." Khandi and Casandra left the office and made their way down the hall. Khandi looked at Casandra. "I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. But I guess now we know why I've been so hostile."

"Hey, you're going to be okay. Dr. Stewart said the tumor's benign, no sign of cancer."

"I don't understand any of this. It seems everytime we find our lives are going good something always happens to ruin everything. First Jimmy's shooting and now this." Khandi said getting tears in her eyes. Casandra placed her arm around Khandi's shoulder as they made their way back to Jim's room.

//Jim's Room//

Everyone was sitting around worried about what was happening between Khandi and Casandra. They had been gone for hours at this point and Sam had a bad feeling. Just then they walked into the room. Khandi looked at Jim and Little Jimmy and then turned her attention to everyone else in the room. "Can I talk to Jimmy alone?" she asked.

"Sure." Cosmo said. He walked over to the bed and picked up Little Jimmy. "Come on, buddy, you wanna get some ice cream?"

"Yeah." Little Jimmy said excitedly.

Everyone left the room and Khandi sat down beside Jim's bed. He looked at her with curiostity and worry in his eyes. "What's going on, honey?" Jim asked.

"I just talked to Dr. Stewart..."

"Did he miss something in my tests?" Jim interrupted.

"No. I went to see him about me."

"About you? Why? Are you okay?" Now Jim was getting beyond worried.

"I've been feeling bad lately and I'd been getting headaches and I thought that I might be pregnant..."

"Pregnant? You're pregnant?" Jim asked.

"No, I'm not pregnant. Jimmy..." she started crying again.

"Khandi, what's going on?"

"I have a tumor."

"A tumor?" Jim asked stunned. No he must have heard her wrong. There's no way that Khandi has a tumor.

"Yes. It's in my brain. On my pituitary gland. I'm scheduled for surgery on Friday to have it removed." Jim couldn't believe it. He reached his hand out to her and she gladly took it. Khandi looked up at Jim and noticed tears running down his face. "Jimmy, I'm gonna be okay. Dr. Stewart said it's benign."

"Why are our lives so much tougher than everybody else's?" Jim asked.

//Three Days Later//

Khandi had her surgery and Dr. Stewart was successful at removing the tumor. Now Khandi's prolactin levels would go back to normal and she would be her old self again.

She was resting comfortably in her room when a knock came on the door. She looked up and smiled. "Hey, you."

"Hey. I wanted to see how you were doing." Jim said walking slowly into the room.

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"Still a little sore but at least I can walk around." Khandi laughed. "What's so funny?"

"We're quite the pair, ain't we?"

Jim laughed as he sat down. "Yeah, we sure are. So, I hear things are better between you and Casandra."

"Yeah, I feel really bad about the way I'd been treating her. Truth is I think she'll be a good addition to the team."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I won't be there to see how she works." Jim said.

"You know, I really wish you'd reconsider your decision."

Jim just sat there and looked at Khandi. He didn't know what to say. He knew she didn't want him to retire but he also didn't want to tell her the real reason he decided to do so.

//Two Weeks Later//

The Cavalry's house had gotten a new member, bringing the total number of occupants to eleven. It's a good thing they have a big house. Casandra was a little skeptical at first when Khandi asked her to move in with them. But since she had nowhere to go she accepted the offer. After all they were sisters. When Stacey heard the news she was a little more receptive than Khandi was and accepted Casandra into the family.

Now they all lived under the same roof and got along great with one another. Khandi also made ammends with her mother and although she couldn't fully forgive her father for what he did, she did learn to get past it.

Casandra knew she wanted to be with Sam but she was a little hesitant. She was more nervous now than ever. She had never been with anyone since her husband died and suddenly she found herself alone with Sam. This was not the first time but now things have settled down and she was suddenly very nervous being alone with him.

They were both alone in Sam's room but neither of them moved. Then, Sam touched her face gently and pulled her to him. He lightly pressed his lips to hers and was relieved when she didn't pull away. His hand fell away from her cheek and he was just about to utter an apology when she caught his wrist. Suddenly she wasn't nervous anymore to be with Sam at all. She was very comfortable and brought his hand back to her cheek. She kissed the palm of his hand and Sam emitted a groan and his body tightened in anticipation.

Retaining her hold on his wrist, Casandra stepped in, her breasts brushing against him. "Is this what you really want, Sam?"

He closed his eyes slowly, breathing in her scent. "I've never wanted anything or anyone more in my life."

His eyes opened slowly and he was captured by the heat of her gaze. "I don't give myself lightly. It has been a very long time since I've been with anyone." Her eyes were boring into his, answering a question he had been afraid to ask.

With a brief nod he let her know that he understood. "I would never have thought anything else."

A tiny smile touched her lips just before she brought them to his in a gentle meeting, one mouth fitting against another, finding its place. Slowly, as if he were afraid she would realize she had made a mistake, Sam increased the pressure of his mouth on hers. His hand came up to settle along her neck, his thumb brushing over the soft skin along her jaw line and she sighed against his lips. When her lips parted he took full advantage, tilting his head, and thrusting his tongue into the warmth of her mouth. And she shuddered.

Reluctantly, Sam pulled back and watched as her eyes fluttered open. Her full lips were swollen from his kiss and her porcelain skin was flushed. She recognized the question in his eyes and before he could speak she brought his hand up to cover her breast. The fabric was warm from the heat of her body and Sam's palm tingled at the contact. His fingertips brushed over the sweet swell of flesh exposed by the cut of the top and a low moan escaped her throat.

Leaning forward, his lips brushing the shell of her ear, he said, "Do you ever lose control?"

Her swallow was audible. Casandra covered his hand with hers and nodded. "I know when to let go Sam. Do you?"

His only answer was to slide his lips over her cheek before brushing them against her mouth. Not a kiss but tantalizing little passes that stoked a fire in both of them. Her arms slid up to wrap around his neck, her fingers stroking along his collar while he slid one arm around her waist and pulled her closer. The only sounds in the room were the quiet moans of pleasure from both of them.

Reaching forward, Casandra began loosening the top button on his shirt. Her fingers moved to the next button. Then when they were all opened, she pushed his shirt from his shoulders.

"Casandra…" His voice trailed off as her hands came up to touch him.

Her fingers drifted lazily over his chest and shoulders. She ran her hands up and down the smooth skin of his upper arms, feeling the firm muscles there. Casandra's hands skimmed over his chest again, her fingernails dragging over his nipples.

Raising his hands, Sam framed her face and brought his mouth down to cover hers. Her lips parted and his tongue rushed in sweeping against her own. Casandra's nails raking lightly over his sensitive skin. Hands slid over skin and cloth, learning the terrain, mapping the contours of each other's bodies.

Pulling away from him, Casandra removed her blouse and let it fall to the floor, along with her pants. Sam ran a finger down the length of her spine feeling her shudder under his grazing touch.

Sam opened his mouth to tell her she was beautiful then, but then he just began running his hands and lips over her back. Licking, nipping and kissing his way across the tops of her shoulders as his rough palms slid possessively along her rib cage. His fingertips brushed the sides of her breasts while his hardness pressed against the firm flesh of her ass. Casandra brought her arms back, her hands grabbing his hips and pulling him tighter against her, grinding against his erection as her head fell back to rest on his shoulder.

Grasping her shoulders he turned her to face him, crushing her to his chest, and slamming his mouth down on hers. Their mouths were open, seeking, devouring. Her hard nipples were burning into his skin. His hands forged a path over her back before cupping her hips and drawing her tighter against him.

His lips left hers and he began running his tongue over the smooth skin of her neck, licking his way up to suckle at her ear. His mind captured her reaction and tucked it away. She was so responsive, so passionate, moaning and quivering, clutching at him. Gone was the icy façade she maintained for work. Right now she was just a woman and he was just a man and there was nothing between them except electricity.

Casandra managed to work her hands between their bodies, her fingers making short work of his belt and the button on his pants. Her fingers grazed his hardness as she slowly lowered his zipper. And when her hand slid inside his boxers and wrapped around him Sam's knees buckled. Her cool fingers wrapped around the hotness of his erection squeezing lightly, her thumb brushing over the slit and smearing the drop of fluid that had collected there.

Her hands moved over him, noting his average length. But when she wrapped her fingers around him she noticed that what he lacked in length he more than made up for in girth. Just the thought of being filled by him made her whimper. One hand set up a steady rhythm while the other slid down to test the weight of his balls, squeezing them lightly.

Her mouth was against his jaw, her tongue flicking along the sensitive skin of his throat loving the rasp of his stubble against her skin. Sliding her hot mouth down his neck to the firm muscle of his shoulder, she sank her teeth in with just enough pressure to push the threshold between pain and pleasure.

Then he was grabbing her hand, leading her to the bed. Hooking her thumbs in the thong she wore she pushed it down around her ankles before stepping out of it. Sam groaned, low and deep in his throat. Next thing she knew, Sam was on his knees, burying his face against her smooth, firm abdomen.

He could smell her and the scent intoxicated him. From his vantage point, he looked up to see her full breasts jutting proudly forward and her smoky eyes watching his every move. Sam sat back on his heels and ran his hands up her legs until his fingers brushed against the curls at her center. Astonished at how wet she was, Sam had an overwhelming urge to taste her. Leaning forward he pressed his face to her. He wrapped his arms around her slender thighs and buried his tongue between her folds. He could feel her hands clutching at him and hear her astonished shriek followed by a deep moan as the taste of her flooded his mouth.

He could feel the muscles in her thighs trembling as her arousal spiraled close to the edge. Glancing up he saw that her nipples were hard, her eyes were closed and her head thrown back. He knew that just the right amount of pressure would send her rocketing. Moving one arm to cradle her hips, he used the other hand to slide two fingers into her. Before she could adjust to the sudden intrusion he began flicking his tongue over her clit in a rapid back and forth motion. And she came, muscles convulsing and thighs quivering while her juices coated his lips and chin. He held her until he felt the spasms stop then slowly, reluctantly, he pulled away.

He rested his face against her belly and his arms wrapped around her for a moment, waiting until her grip on him loosened. Finally sitting back on his heels he watched her eyes open, taking in the flush on her chest and the dampness on her inner thighs. He had never seen a more beautiful woman. With a crack of his knees and an embarrassed smile he rose to stand before her.

Casandra took a step forward and kissed him, sucking his tongue into her mouth, loving the taste of her orgasm. She hooked her fingers in his boxers and eased them down over his throbbing erection. Sam couldn't ever remember being that hard in his life. His cock throbbed with the force of his arousal, the skin stretched so tight as to be painful.

She began to drop to her knees in front of him but he caught her, shaking his head to indicate that he couldn't stand any of that particular torture. Instead, he climbed onto the bed and motioned for her to join him. She slid onto the mattress beside him and, after helping him to settle against the headboard, straddled his thighs. He ran his hands up from her hips, over her ribs, to cup her breasts. Slowly, his thumbs brushed over her nipples. He rose up and sucked a tip into his mouth, his tongue swirling over the tight nub. Her hands played over his body. She touched his face and neck, his chest, his abdomen, his groin and upper thighs. She touched him everywhere except the one place that ached for her.

Their hands grew bolder, more demanding, skating over sweat slicked skin. Mouths meshed before moving off to taste some new area. Breaths mingled. But the only sounds came from Casandra. Suddenly her movements became frantic. Gripping his cock she lowered herself onto him in one smooth stroke.

Just like that they were fucking. No sense trying to find a better word for it. She was pounding up and down on him like a mad woman, breasts bouncing, thigh muscles flexing. His hands were digging into her hips as he tried to find her rhythm. This was raw, primal pleasure. When she felt him stiffen, felt the hot throb of him deep within her, she slammed down on him and began to grind her clit against his pubic bone.

They both came together and were very satisfied with their lovemaking. Much later Sam awoke to find a warm weight pressed along his side. His muscles ached and he couldn't remember a time when he had felt so relaxed. Turning his head he met the brown eyed gaze of the woman next to him. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she murmured. "How are you?"

With a smile, he replied, "I thought I was pretty damned good."

She smiled rolled over and playfully wacked him in the chest, "What about me?"

Sam was still smiling. "You were good, too. Just not as good as me." he said and winked at her.

She looked at him and smirked. "Mmm, not as good as you, eh?" She said as she rolled on top of him, flipping her hair to one side. "I think you should beg to differ." She added looking down at him.

"Well, I'm definitely a man who knows when to agree with a lady." he said placing his hands on her hips.

She smiled mischieviously, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Sam said and pulled her down into a passionate kiss.

//Three Months Later//

Jim was well into his recovery. He, now and then, got a pain on his right side but it was nothing he couldn't deal with. Today was the day that Jim was going into the station to announce his retirement.

//LVPD//

Jim walked into the station and Sheriff Burdick caught him in the hallway. Burdick had no idea that Jim was retiring. "Hey, Sheriff, how's it going? Can I talk you?"

"Actually there's something I need to talk to you about." Burdick replied.

"Really?" Jim asked.

"I've asked the Mayor to give you a commendation. Medal of Valor. Congratulations."

"Well... that's... that's nice. Uh, do I have to be there?" Jim asked.

"As a matter of protocol, I'd say you damn well better be."

"Well, you know Ben..." Jim started. He was about to tell Burdick about his decision to retire but never got the chance.

"Look, I'm gonna say a few nice things, hand you a plaque, shake hands, a whole lot of reporters will be there to take pictures of the big event. It'll be magic. My office will call you to set it up."

Burdick didn't give Jim a chance to talk and now he had to stand in front of a bunch of reporters and cameras and accept a commendation that he didn't think he deserved. He watched Burdick walk away and sighed. "I was gonna vote for ya anyway." Jim mumbled.

Khandi was walking down the hall when she saw Jim standing there. "Hey, did you talk to Burdick yet?" she asked.

"I just saw him. He didn't give me the chance to talk. He's giving me a commendation." Jim replied.

"That's great, honey. You deserve it." Jim didn't say anything. "Hey, listen, I just gotta call about a domestic disturbance. You wanna come with me? You know one last time."

Jim sighed. "Alright, let's go."

//Residence//

Jim and Khandi pulled up in front of the house and exited the Charger. They walked to the door, that was standing wide open, and entered the premises. The EMT's were there. Khandi walked into a back room where the EMT's were working on an OD victim. His girlfriend was lingering around and Khandi pulled her off to the side to talk to her.

"What happened here?" Khandi asked.

"I... I don't know... he... he just stopped breathing." the woman, Marisa, said.

"Has he been taking drugs."

"No."

Just then a little boy about seven years old appeared in the doorway. Khandi looked back and saw him watch the man on the floor. Jim noticed this and walked up to the boy. "Hey, why don't you come out here with me, okay?"

The little boy looked at Jim and then followed him out to the living room. He looked up at Jim. "Is he dead?"

"No, the paramedics are gonna help him. What's your name?"

"Preston."

"Hi, Preston. I'm Jim."

The EMT's had revived the OD guy and he was now running around the house screaming that he wasn't going to the hospital. Just then Preston pulled on Jim's hand. Jim looked down at him. "Can I go with you?" Preston asked.

Jim kneeled down and looked at Preston. "Why do you want to come with me?" he asked.

"So, he won't hurt me anymore."

Khandi walked over to Jim. "Come on, there's nothing we can do here. She won't press any charges."

Jim looked at Preston and then back to Khandi. "We can't leave him here."

"Jimmy, we can't take him out of here without an investigation by Child Services."

Jim sighed, looked at Preston again and then he and Khandi left the house.

//LVPD - A Few Hours Later//

Jim had called Child Services when he returned to the station to get them to look into Preston's family. Jim was in his office putting things into a box when Khandi came running in. "Jimmy, that house we were at earlier?"

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked worried that something had happened to Preston.

"It's on fire. I just saw it on the news."

Jim ran out of the office, followed by Khandi. They jumped into the Charger and Jim sped all the way back to Preston's house.

When he pulled up in front, the entire house was engulfed in flames. He jumped out of the car and ran around the scene looking for Preston. "Preston! Preston, where are you?" Jim noticed Bob Hendricks, the fire chief, coming out of the house. "Hey, Sparky, have you seen a little boy, about seven years old, has blond hair?"

"No, Jim, sorry. But if he's in that house, he's got no chance."

Jim was about to run toward the house when he noticed Preston, wrapped in a blanket, walking toward him. Jim ran over to him and knelt down. "Hey, Preston, are you okay?"

Preston nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it." he said.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Jim said.

"Yeah, I started the fire."

Jim was shocked at Preston's honesty. "Why?"

"So that you would come back for me."

Tears came to Jim's eyes and he picked Preston up and carried him over to the ambulance. He placed him on a stretcher and then climbed in the back with him. Jim turned and noticed Khandi standing outside the bus. "I'll meet you at the hospital." Jim said.

"Okay." Khandi said and shut the doors.

//Desert Palm Hospital//

Jim and Khandi were standing in the hallway when Preston came out of his examination. "Hey, Preston." Jim said and lifted him up to sit on the counter. "I wanna talk to you, okay?"

"Okay." Preston said and played with the toy that Jim had gave him.

"Promise me you're not gonna start anymore fires, okay?"

"I promise."

"You don't have to start a fire to see me. Here." Jim pulled out one of his business cards and wrote his cell number on the back. "If you ever wanna talk to me, all you have to do is call me, okay?"

Preston took the card and looked at it. "Can't I come with you?"

"No, you can't buddy. You're gonna stay with your aunt. But you can call me anytime you want. Okay?"

"Okay." Jim ruffled Preston's hair and he and Khandi started to walk away. "Bye, Jim."

Jim turned around and waved to Preston. "Take care, Preston."

//Charger//

Jim and Khandi got into the Charger. Khandi was driving and she pulled the Charger out of the parking lot. "He's a sweet kid." Khandi said.

"Yeah, he is. It's times like this that being a cop is worth while." Jim stated.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Preston made me realize that this job is important."

"What are you saying, Jimmy?" Khandi asked hopefully.

"I'm saying, I don't want to retire. I wanna come back to work."

Khandi looked at Jim shocked. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm coming back."

//Two Days Later//

Jim had received his commendation from Sheriff Burdick. Just then Warrick showed up at Jim's office. "Hey, Jim?" Warrick said.

"What's up?" Jim asked.

Warrick walked into the office and looked around at the walls. "Where's your hardware?"

"Oh, come on. Come on."

"Don't even try it. You were all over the news. Let's see it."

Jim reached down and opened his desk drawer. He pulled out his plaque and placed it on the desk in front of him. Warrick picked it up and looked at it. "Wow. That's beautiful. What's with all the modesty, it should be up on your wall, man."

"For what? For taking a bullet or not dying?" Jim asked.

"For being brave."

"You know, Rick, I'll tell ya something, I walked into that hotel room and twenty-three years of police work told me I knew what that guy was about and he played me like a damn rookie. He beat me at my own game. I mean, what's the dumbest thing you've ever done? You wanna make a poster of it, put it on your wall? I don't think so." Jim said and put the plaque back in his desk drawer. "Thanks for coming by."

"Alright." Warrick said and left.

Jim watched Warrick leave. He never told Khandi the real reason that he wanted to retire and now he had just told Warrick. Truth is Jim was not proud of his commendation at all and the only reason he returned to work was because of Preston.

**TBC...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

//One Month Later - Office Building - Lobby//

Sydney Harrison walked into the building lobby. She walked up to the counter and handed the newspaperman some money. "Hi." she said.

"Hey." Ahmed said and took the money and gave Sydney a newspaper.

"Thanks, Ahmed."

"You're welcome, Sydney. Have a nice day."

"Thanks." Sydney looked at the newspaper and walked up to the elevators. She pressed the button unaware of the man holding some flowers standing off to the side.

The man stared at Sydney and started to walk toward her. He stopped when a man's voice called out to Sydney from the side. She looked up. "Hey, partner." he called to her.

"Hey. You're in a hurry." Sydney replied.

"I got that McKenna thing this morning. Damn it, I left my briefcase in the gift shop. I'm a mess today." He ran back to the gift shop.

The elevator doors opened. "You want me to hold the elevator?" Sydney called out. "Uh, no, no, I'll see you up there."

"Okay." Sydney walked into the elevator. The man watching her dropped the bouquet of flowers in the trash and rushed to get into the same elevator with her. He stood in front of the panel. Sydney leaned forward. "Six for me, please?"

He put his hand in front of his mouth. "Uh, it's going down." he said muffled.

"It is?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take a ride." Sydney said.

As the doors close, the man pulled down his ski mask and covered his face.

//Office Building - Lobby - Later//

Crime scene tape was placed over the elevator door. Casandra interviewed Ahmed. They stood in the middle of the lobby. "She bought her paper, like usual. That was it." he said.

"Do you remember seeing anyone suspicious?" Casandra asked.

"Suspicious?"

"Uh... hanging around, loitering, that sort of thing."

Ahmed shook his head. "Um, no... I'm sorry."

Behind them, Jim walked into the building through the front doors. "Okay, thank you." Ahmed left and Casandra walked toward Jim.

"Give me the rundown." Jim said.

Casandra looked at her notes. "Okay... the woman's name is Sydney Harrison, 41 years old, caucasian, divorced, no children. Owns and runs a small employment agency on the sixth floor. She was on her way up to work when someone grabbed her in the elevator."

"What time?" Jim asked.

"About nine."

"Everybody on their way to work, crowded lobby, pretty risky move." he said and they both headed for the elevator.

"He could have been staking her out for days, waiting for the right moment."

"Did he take her out through the underground garage?"

"Looks that way, but we got no witnesses."

Jim ducked under the crime scene tape and entered the elevator. Casandra followed. "What have you got?" Jim asked.

"Spray paint on the security camera." Catherine said looking back at Jim and Casandra.

//Office Building - Lobby - Security Desk//

On the monitor the masked man turned around toward the camera and sprayed the lens with spray paint while Sydney watched. "Could you, uh, stop the tape there? Rewind it." Jim said. The security guard played the tape again. On the monitor the man was in front of the control panel, Sydney leaned forward a little and said something to him. The man put his hand over his mouth and replied. "You see that? Covering his mouth with his hand, trying to disguise his voice. He knows her."

"Maybe the ski mask isn't just for the camera." Casandra said as her phone rang. She answered it. "Yeah."

"I'm going to need the original copy of this tape." Jim said to the security guard.

"Thanks. We'll be right up." Casandra said into her phone. She hung up and looked at Jim. "We just got a ransom note, upstairs in her office."

"I'll be back for that." Jim said to the security guard about the tape. He and Casandra left.

//Employment Agency//

Sydney's partner walked through the main office and into his office. He showed Jim and Casandra the e-mail on his computer. "It came on my computer five minutes ago. I don't know how we're going to come up with that kind of money so quickly."

"Have you responded to this e-mail yet?" Jim asked.

"No, of course not."

"Would you mind giving us a few seconds?"

"Sure, of course." he said and left the office.

Jim and Casandra looked at the e-mail. Jim read it out loud. "We have Sydney Harrison. If you ever want to see her again, follow our instructions, don't call the police. You have until two o'clock to get six hundred eighty seven thousand dollars... at that time, you will hear from us again. Be prepared to deliver the money."

Casandra glanced at her watch. "Two o'clock? That's only three hours to get everything organized." she said.

"Well, let's see if we can stall them." Jim leaned over and typed in the following response: "It's going to take time to get that kind of money." He hit enter. An error message box popped up, "Your Message is Undeliverable." They both stood up.

"Okay, then." Casandra said.

"Let's get started." Jim said and they both left the office.

//Outside - Sidewalk//

Sam and Cosmo were walking along the sidewalk. "687 grand? That's a pretty random number, huh?" Cosmo asked.

"Yeah, it is. It's got to be symbolic, you know, personal, something like that. Well, she's no Bill Gates. $82,000 in equity is her personal savings. I don't know where these idiots think she's going to come up with that kind of money." Sam stated.

"Her company?" Cosmo asked.

"No, they'd never raise it that fast. We're going to have to go to our own banks first."

"How about the e-mail?"

"Untraceable so far. CSI is taking the computer to the lab. Next e-mail will come in there." They turned the corner and met up with Khandi.

She pointed at the attendent being interviewed by another Detective. "Hey. The attendant's been here since 7:00." Khandi said.

"He see anything?" Sam asked.

"White Ford conversion van parked right there. That door leads to the elevator. He was just about to have the van towed when another car pulls in. He parks the other car, and when he comes back, the van's gone."

"So, he waits for her in a crowded lobby, intercepts her in a security elevator, parks in a tow-away zone and still manages to get her out of here without anybody seeing a thing. This guy's either a criminal genius, or a complete moron." Cosmo said.

" 'Lucky' moron, so far." Sam stated.

//Employment Agency - Sydney's Partner's Office//

Jim was interviewing Sydney's partner. "We believe that the man who took Sydney knew her. Possible that it's a disgruntled client?" Jim asked.

"Well, there are a lot of people that we can't find jobs for these days."

"What about employees? Anybody fired recently?"

"Joe Thatcher."

"When was this?" Jim asked.

"Last Thursday."

"What for?"

"I'm not sure, um... Sydney talked to him alone, and she... she wouldn't say why she let him go."

"Was he angry when he left?"

"Yeah, he was."

//Outside - Sidewalk//

Sam was on the phone with Jim. Cosmo ducked under the crime scene tape and joined Sam on the sidewalk. "Okay, got it." Sam said into the phone and then hung up. "That was Jim. He wants us to check out a disgruntled employee a guy named Joe Thatcher."

"Thatcher?" Cosmo asked.

"Yeah." Sam said as they both walked off.

//Sydney's Apartment//

Khandi walked around holding a framed plaque containing a poem by Dawna Markova. "I will not die an unlived life. I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible. I choose to risk my significance. To live so that which comes to me as seed goes to the next as blossom. And that which comes to me as blossom, goes on as fruit."

Khandi was looking at her reflection in the mirror. She put the framed quote down.

//Outside - Hotel Sidewalk//

Sam walked out of the hotel and onto the sidewalk. He joined Cosmo, who was leaning against the car, arms crossed. "Guy wasn't there." Sam said.

"We got an hour before the drop, and for all we know, this guy could be in Puerto Rico. How long do we have to wait?" Cosmo asked.

Sam looked off to the side, then down at the photograph in his hand. He tucked the photo back in this coat pocket. "Another ten seconds."

Down the sidewalk holding a paper bag of groceries was Joe Thatcher. Sam saw him. "Yeah, then what happens?" Cosmo asked.

"We interrogate him." Sam replied.

Cosmo turned his head and saw Joe Thatcher. He stood up. Both he and Sam went to meet with him. "Mr. Thatcher, LVPD. Mind if we ask you a couple questions?" Cosmo asked.

"What's this about?" Thatcher asked.

"Where were you this morning at 9:00 A.M.?" Cosmo asked.

"I was home, why?"

"Your former employer, Sydney Harrison's been kidnapped." Sam said.

"Come on." Thatcher said thinking that it was a joke.

"You think that's funny?" Cosmo asked.

"No. Jeez, of course not."

"Why'd she fire you?"

"Because she's a hypocrite, that's why."

"Elaborate for us." Sam said.

"She asked me to cut a phony payroll check. I took a little extra for myself. That's the least I can do when she's asking me to break the law. She said she needed the check for a friend. I didn't buy it for a second."

"What was her friend's name?" Sam asked.

Thatcher shrugged. "Barry Mashburn."

"How much was the check for?" Cosmo asked.

"Ten grand. I made it out for nine and change. I was going to keep the little extra for myself, you know..."

"Think we could take a look in your apartment?" Sam asked interrupting.

"Yeah. I got nothing to hide. Come on."

Sam followed Thatcher into the hotel. Cosmo took out his cell phone. "I'm going to check out this Barry Mashburn." Cosmo told Sam. "Steve, yeah, I need a 'Barry Mashburn'." Cosmo said into the phone.

//Employment Agency//

Libby Coulter, Sydney's Personal Assistant, pulled out the file from the filing cabinet. "Here we go. Barry Mashburn." She gave it to Casandra.

"Great, thank you. Do you remember anything in particular about him?" Casandra asked.

"She took all of his calls personally. She was very invested in him."

"Okay, now what are all these notations right here?" Casandra pointed to the sheet in the file.

"Any time she calls a potential employer for a client, she marks it down."

Casandra looked through the file. "Wow, she really worked hard for him."

"Sydney's amazing. Relentless. If she can't place you, you're unplaceable."

//LVPD - The Cavalry's Bullpen//

Archie worked at putting in electronic devices into the stacks of money. Jim sat across the table from him waiting for him to finish. "Do you want a transmitter?" Archie asked.

"Yeah." Jim replied as Sam walked into the room.

"Jim. We just got the drop location."

"Okay." Jim said and turned to Archie. "You got two minutes." Jim stood up and joined Sam.

Sam filled him in. "We traced the e-mail that copied that central server. There's 52 of them in Las Vegas, 22 in the Midtown, Downtown area."

"That really helps us narrow it down." Jim stated.

"Yeah, no kidding." Sam said as they walked out of the bullpen.

//Employment Agency//

Casandra's phone rang. She answered it. "Yeah."

"The drop's going to happen at a bookstore on Waverley called 'The Table of Contents'." Jim said on the other end.

"Yeah. I know it."

"They want somebody named Libby Coulter to make the delivery."

Casandra lowered her voice. "That's Sydney's assistant."

"Right. You know the Revival Movie House across the street?" Jim asked.

"Uh-huh." Casandra answered.

"I want you and Libby to meet me in the adjacent alley in fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Casandra said and hung up.

//LVPD - Cavalry's Bullpen//

Jim hung up his phone too. Sam appeared in the doorway. "Ready, Jimmy?" Sam asked.

Jim tucked his phone away and joined Sam. The two left the bullpen. "Yeah."

//Outside - Revival Movie House//

Sam walked along the sidewalk and passed Jim who was instructing a very nervous Libby Coulter on what she's supposed to do. "Everything's fine. We've got it under control." Jim said.

"I'll do whatever I need to do to help Sydney." Libby replied.

"Now, I think the reason that he picked you is because he knows what you look like. So when you go in there, if you recognize him... don't talk to him. Don't identify him in any way. Just walk into the travel section. Put the bag down, and walk out." Jim instructed her.

Libby nodded. "Okay."

"Look at me. Okay, now, say the words. Repeat what I just said to you."

"Um... walk in there, leave the bag in the travel section, walk away."

"Okay, good." Jim said as Casandra got out of the van. She was dressed casually. "This compact... it has a microphone. You're going to put it in your bag so we can hear everything that's going on." Jim slipped the compact in her bag.

"Okay." Libby said.

"Okay? Lieutenant Riggs -- she's going to be in the bookstore with you. She's going to cover you if anything goes down, but under no circumstances do you acknowledge her." Jim said.

"Right..." Libby said and looked at Casandra. "We spoke about that."

"Right." Casandra said.

"Right." Libby repeated.

"Go." Jim said to Casandra. She left for the bookstore. "This is going to be fine." Libby laughed nervously. "It'll be over in ten minutes. Okay?" Libby took a deep breath.

//Outside - Sidewalk//

Libby carried the bag full of money toward the bookstore. From their position in the car, Sam watched Libby through a pair of binoculars.

//Bookstore//

Casandra was already inside the bookstore. She looked around at the people inside. A woman, named Cheryl, was sitting in a chair, flipping through a magazine. She saw a young boy, Kyle, Cheryl's son, sitting at a table, his back toward her. Near the window, she saw the figure of a man looking through a book. He looked up at her. She smiled and looked back down at the display table of books in front of her.

Casandra continued to look at the people in the room. She saw a man, his name was Richard, in an aisle, leafing through a hard-cover book.

//Outside - Street//

In a white van across the street, Sam and Jim waited.

//Bookstore//

The man near the window looked up at the door as the door chimes ring. Libby walked in. "Hey, can I help you with something?" Ted, the man behind the counter asked.

Libby looked at him. "Um, where's your travel section?"

"Over there. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"No, thanks." Libby walked past Richard, who looked up at her, and headed for the travel section.

Casandra kept an eye on Libby. Libby walked toward the travel section. Richard rounded the bookshelf and angled his view toward her, the book still open in front of him.

//Van//

Sam continued to watch through the binoculars. "She's doing good." Sam said.

"Yep." Jim replied.

//Bookstore//

Libby tried not to look around. She put the money bag down. She turned and headed back to the front door. "Uh, miss?" Ted called out. Libby stopped and looked at him. He pointed. "You forgot your bag."

//Van//

"Oh, for crying out -- he's trying to give her the bag back, shut up!" Jim yelled.

//Bookstore//

"Oh, um, I'm... just going to feed my meter. It, it's kind of heavy, so I just... so..." she said.

The man hidden near the windows made his move toward the bag. Libby accidentally turned her head and looked at him. Her face froze as she definitely recognized him. The man put his head down and headed for the money bag.

Casandra saw Libby's reaction. She turned her head to see what Libby was looking at. The man, Barry Mashburn, leaned down and picked up the bag. He walked toward the front door. Richard grabbed his arm to stop him. "Hey, pal, that's not your bag. Hey, hey, hey! It's not... !"

Mashburn pushed Richard aside. "Hey! Get the hell off!" Mashburn yelled and pulled out a gun and pointed it at Richard.

Libby ran off to the side. Casandra automatically crouched down to the ground. Mashburn held the gun out in front of him, wildly swinging it from side to side. He turned around and spotted Libby hiding in a corner, clutching her bag closer to her. Libby muttered to/over microphone. "It's Barry Mashburn."

//Van//

"Damn it!" Sam cursed.

//Bookstore//

Libby was still whispering. "It's Barry Mashburn. It's Barry..." she stopped when she realized that Mashburn was standing right next to her with the gun pointed at her.

Casandra was still rooted to her spot, watching everything unfold in front of her.

"Hey, who you talking to? Who you talking to? Cops, huh? Cops are here?" Mashburn yelled at Libby and then rushed to look out the glass door. He saw a woman, Fran, standing half-hidden behind a display rack near the door.

He grabbed her and put his arm around her neck, the gun pointed to her head. "Oh, god!" Fran shouted.

"All right, nobody move! Or I'll shoot!" Mashburn warned.

//Van//

Sam and Jim were listening in the van as everything unraveled. Jim put a hand to his forehead. "Get over here! Get over here!" Mashburn yelled over the microphone.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn edged himself and Fran to the door. "Uh, uh..." Ted moved from around the counter. "Everybody down! Down! Everybody down!" Mashburn yelled. Libby slowly moved to the floor. "Down! I said down!" Richard went down to the floor. "You, get over here! Get over here!" Cheryl and Kyle got down on the floor. Mashburn waved the gun around. "Over here, come on! On the floor." Mashburn turned around and grabbed Libby's bag. He opened the front door and tossed it outside.

//Outside - Sidewalk//

Mashburn tossed the bag out the door. He went back into the bookstore and closed the door behind him. "We just lost audio." Sam said.

//Bookstore//

Casandra took the opportunity and pushed her bag off to the side in between two shelves. Richard saw her. Casandra saw that Richard saw her. She shook her head and motioned for him to keep quiet.

Richard turned to look over at Mashburn who was now leaning against the front door that he just locked. "I said 'no cops!'. There's cops here!" Mashburn started to search the people inside the room. He headed first to Ted. "Are you a cop? Are you a cop? Huh?" Mashburn headed for Richard and searched him. "What about you? Are you a cop? Huh?" Richard looked up at Casandra. She remained on the floor, keeping a sharp eye on everything.

//Van//

Sam watched the bookstore with the binoculars. Jim was on the phone. "The situation has changed dramatically. I'm going to need you to set up an out-of-perimeter. Nobody in or out. And also, notify SWAT." Jim ordered.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn continued on to check Cheryl, who covered Kyle protectively. "What about you? Down! Down!" He looked at Casandra, the last person to search. "What about you?" Casandra watched as Mashburn approached her.

//Outside - Street//

Sirens filled the air and officers cleared the streets. Cop cars arrived at the scene and SWAT team members took up their position outside the bookstore. The road in front of the bookstore was blocked.

//The Revival Movie House//

Jim and Sam made their way through the back of the Revival Movie House. Jim gave Sam instructions. "Subway station has been shut down and secured." Sam said.

"Great. We're going to need a supply of food and water. We need to hook up a direct line to the bookstore. We need to set up a rain-down. So I want to blast the heat in the bookstore, okay? Set the furnace up to 100 degrees. Bring it down to 85. Keep it level." Jim said.

"Right." Sam said and left to get it done.

Jim's phone rang and he answered it. "Yeah."

"All right. Here's what I got so far on Barry Mashburn. 42 years old, widowed, wife's name -- Natalie. She was 38." Cosmo reported on the other end of the phone.

"Natalie. How'd she die?" Jim asked.

"Doesn't even say when she died. All I got is a 'wife deceased' off his last tax return."

"Kids?"

"Patrick, 12; Rachel, 10."

"Finances?"

"They're not good. Made only 17 grand last year. He's been out of work for the last three months."

"Has he got a record?"

"He's clean -- DMV says he's got a white Ford van that matches the description of the getaway car."

"And where does he live?" Jim asked.

"Got an address for him in North Vegas. I'm on my way there right now."

"Great." Jim said and hung up.

From his position near the window, Sam lifted up the binoculars and looked at what was going on inside the bookstore across the street.

Jim joined Sam near the window. He looked outside as he listened to his phone ring. He waited for someone to answer the phone inside the Bookstore.

**TBC...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

//Bookstore//

The phone inside the bookstore rang. Mashburn pointed at Richard and Ted. "All right, uh... uh, you and you, uh, take that bookcase, move it in front of that door." The phone continued to ring. They slowly stood up. "Now!" Mashburn shouted.

The two men scrambled to their feet. They both tried to move the bookshelf. "It's too heavy." Richard said.

"T... t... take the books out." Mashburn stuttered. The phone continued to ring.

"You want me to answer that?" Ted asked.

"If I want you to do something, I'll tell you, okay?"

Richard and Ted opened the bookshelf doors and started taking the books out.

//Movie House//

Sam watched the activity inside the bookstore. "Hey, Jim, I think they're doing something with the bookshelves."

Jim's phone continued to ring. "Can I look?" Jim asked.

"Yeah." Sam said handed Jim the binoculars.

//Bookstore//

Richard, tired, looked up at Mashburn. "Oh, come on, man, it's still too heavy. Look, why don't you just close the blinds?"

The phone continued to ring. Mashburn looked around at the blinds. How obvious. "All right, all right, all right." He turned to Ted. "Close the blinds." Then he motioned to Richard. "You take care of the ones in the back."

"Yeah, all right." Richard said.

//Movie House//

"What are they doing?" Sam asked as he watched Ted close the front window blinds. "Oh, great. Ah, son of a bitch."

//Sydney's Apartment//

Khandi sat on the couch reading through Sydney's personal journal. "Barry. God, Barry ... waiting for me downstairs last night in the lobby, with that beaten-down expression and those sad, lost eyes. Do I not look him in the eye because of Natalie? I thought I saw him this morning outside the coffee shop, but then it was just some poor homeless guy. Must be my guilty conscience talking."

Khandi flipped the pages over as she continued to peruse through it. She reached the last entry and flipped through the blank pages.

//Bookstore//

The phone inside the bookstore was still ringing. The hostages sat on the floor. Mashburn paced the floor trying to figure out what to do. "For god sakes, answer the phone!" Richard said impatiently.

Mashburn turned around. "Shut up!" The ringing continued. "You have a very big mouth."

"And you don't have much of a plan here, so you better pick up the phone."

"Shut up, man." Fran said nervously.

"Everybody just chill out, okay?" Casandra said.

"Shut up, okay? Everyone, shut up! Gotta think!" Mashburn shouted. Casandra watched him carefully as the ringing continued.

//Movie House//

Sam was on the phone. "All right, keep me posted." He hung up his cell and made his way around the counter. Jim was on the phone listening to it ring on the other end, waiting for someone inside the bookstore to pick it up. "Jim, that was Khandi. Barry Mashburn's wife was Sydney's old assistant. She died in a fire at Sydney's old building."

"What, and you think that Barry blamed Sydney?" Jim asked.

"Apparently he confronted her in the lobby of her building three days ago, and he was described as angry and resentful. You think Sydney's still alive?" Sam took out a pen and on the Whiteboard added to the list under 'Money': Revenge.

//Bookstore//

The phone continued to ring. Casandra sat and waited. Finally, she moved to take off her sweatshirt jacket. Because of the temperature, it was growing hot inside the bookstore. Mashburn saw the sudden movement and swung around. "Hey, hey, hey. What are you doing?"

Casandra stopped. "It's hot in here."

He backed down. "All right."

"Okay." Casandra took off her sweatshirt jacket. The telephone continued to ring. "Can I use the bathroom?"

"No, no, no. No."

"Look, I'm really scared, and... I need to go to the bathroom. Can I please go to the bathroom?" Casandra pleaded.

Richard watched Casandra. The phone continued to ring. Cheryl held onto Kyle, her eyes glued to Mashburn. "All right, um, uh-uh..." He looked at Ted. "...wh... where's the bathroom?"

Ted pointed. "It's over there."

"Let's go. Come on." Casandra stood up. She stopped when Mashburn turned to the rest of the group. "Nobody move, all right?" Mashburn backed up. Casandra took a couple of steps. "Come on! Come on, come on. Where's your cell phone?"

Casandra shook her head. "I don't have a cell phone."

"All right, I'm going to have to search you again. You know."

Casandra nodded. "Okay."

"All right."

"Um..." Casandra held out her arms away from her body.

Mashburn patted her down. "Okay."

Casandra walked into the bathroom. The rest of the group watched. Mashburn resumed keeping an eye on the group. The telephone continued to ring.

//Bookstore - Bathroom//

Casandra entered the bathroom and closed the door. She sighed and immediately tried to pull herself together. "Okay. Think, think, think, think, damn it." She sat down on the toilet. "Think, think, think, think."

//Bookstore//

Standing outside next to the bathroom, Mashburn leaned against the door and closed his eyes. He waited for Casandra. The phone continued to ring.

//Employment Agency - Office//

Khandi interviewed Sydney's partner. "Barry Mashburn? I can't believe it." he said.

"Do you think that he somehow blames Sydney for what happened to Natalie?" Khandi asked.

"No. Well... not that I ever saw. She only tried to help him. He was here just last week. He seemed... desperate but not crazy. You know, business was business. Getting jobs for people was a numbers game to her. But afterwards, she changed. I mean, she really changed. Everyone who came through this door, it was personal with her. And no one more than Barry."

//Bookstore//

Mashburn banged on the bathroom door. "Come on, let's go! What are you doing in there?"

//Bathroom//

Casandra turned on the faucet and washed her hands. She dried her hands on the towel. "Just a sec!"

//Bookstore//

Mashburn sighed impatiently. "Coming." Casandra called through the door. She flushed the toilet, opened the bathroom door and exited. She immediately started to apologize to Mashburn. "Sorry, I... I was just..."

"No, that's all right. I mean... You don't have to apologize for everything. Stop saying sorry. It's making me nervous."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"Okay?"

"Uh..." Casandra chuckled. "I... I'm going to shut up now, then..." Casandra stood there not saying anything more.

Mashburn made a big swinging motion with his arms for her to get back to the group. She got it and headed back. The phone continued to ring.

//Movie House//

"Yeah. Thanks, Khan." Sam said into his phone. Sam rounded the Whiteboard and headed for Jim to fill him in on what Khandi relayed to him. Jim had the phone to his ear waiting for someone in the bookstore to answer it. "All right, according to Sydney's business partner, Mashburn got himself fired from a job at a copy place three months ago. And early last week he came into Sydney's offices to ask for another job. She said she'd try to help him out, but it didn't look promising. And I think that's when she went to Thatcher to cut that false check for ten grand."

"But he never got that check?" Jim asked.

"No. According to her diary, she sent it to his mother-in-law's house."

"Now, why would she do that?" Jim asked.

Sam just shook his head.

//Bookstore//

Inside the bookstore, the phone continued to ring. Suddenly the phone stopped ringing. Everyone noticed the silence immediately. "Thank god." Fran said.

"Yeah. I'll give 'em three minutes till they call back again." Ted said.

"Mom, it's hot in here." Kyle stated.

"Oh, I know, sweetheart."

"Hey, yeah, hey." Mashburn said and turned to Ted. "Where's the thermostat?"

"There isn't one in the... in the store. The building controls the temperature."

Mashburn sighed. "What's your name?" Casandra asked.

"This is Kyle. I'm Cheryl."

"I'm Casandra."

"I'm Libby."

"I'm Ted."

"Fran."

"Richard."

Then the telephone started to ring again.

//Movie House//

Jim was on the phone. Under-Sheriff Jeff McKeen walked in the room with a Detective Drummond following behind him. He lingered near the door. "What the hell happened, Jim?" McKeen asked.

"We had a drop go bad. There's a suspect across the street in a bookstore. He's holding about a half a dozen hostages." Jim replied.

"And Lieutenant Riggs is one of these hostages?"

"Yes."

"Mm-hmm. Have you achieved contact with the suspect?"

Jim sighed. "Not yet."

"Then Drummond should step in and be the negotiator on this." McKeen said.

"With all due respect to you and Drummond, I am knee-deep in this. I have background on the suspect. I know a lot about the person he kidnapped. Not to mention the fact that there's one of my detectives in that bookstore."

"Jim, you've only been back to work for a month now. I don't think you're ready to handle another hostage negotiation."

Sam was listening to what McKeen was saying and interrupted their conversation. "Sir, with all do respect, I think Jim can handle the job just fine."

"I happen to disagree, Sam."

Jim looked at McKeen. "Alright, if you don't want me to handle the negotiations, then let Sam do it."

Sam looked at Jim in surprise. McKeen looked at Sam. "I don't think that Sam would be the best choice either, given the circumstances of his relationship with Lieutenant Riggs."

Jim sighed. "Look, Jeff, Drummond doesn't know Casandra like Sam and I do. If she tries to send a coded message we'll know."

"He's right, Sheriff, I can do this." Sam said.

//Bookstore//

The telephone rang. Mashburn walked slowly toward the phone. Everyone in the bookstore watched him. He reached for the phone. Casandra watched Mashburn, willing him to pick it up. He took a deep breath and answered it. "Hello?"

//Movie House//

Jim pointed to his phone and spoke to McKeen. "I've got him on the phone."

"You've got the rope, Sam. Don't hang yourself with it." McKeen said and gave his approval.

Jim handed the phone to Sam. "Who am I talking to?" Sam asked into the phone.

//Outside - Street//

A crowd of people gathered outside the street. Officers kept them clear. Just beyond the road blocks were news cameras. A SWAT gunman was positioned in a building outside. His gun aimed at the bookstore's front door.

//Movie House//

"Who am I talking to?" Sam asked again. He was on the phone with Mashburn. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

//Bookstore//

"Who's this?" Mashburn asked.

"My name is Sam."

"Sam who?"

"Uh, I'm with the Las Vegas Police. And, uh, who am I talking to?" Sam asked.

"I think you know my name."

"Right. So this is Barry."

"Yeah, that's right. Uh-huh. And, uh, what else do you know about me?" Mashburn asked.

"Well, Barry, I know that you have, uh... a number of hostages in there. But what I need to know is, is anyone hurt?"

//Movie House//

McKeen listened in on the conversation. "No one's hurt." Mashburn said and paused. "Yet."

"Does that include Sydney Harrison?" Sam asked.

"Sydney's safe for now."

"Can you tell me where she is?"

"She's, uh, she's, uh, she's with my partner."

Jim was listening in on the conversation as well.

//Bookstore//

"You know, but one word from me and she dies. They don't hear from me by midnight, she dies. You understand that?" Mashburn asked. Casandra watches him, then turned to look at her purse and gun in between the book shelves.

"Okay, Barry, I got it, I got it. It's good that you've kept your cool." Sam stated.

"Yeah, so far."

"Right, 'cause you don't want to hurt anyone, Barry, because if you do, that's when things are going to get difficult."

"Oh, yeah, well, things are really peachy right now."

"Look, I need you to tell me how many people are in there with you."

"Well, let's just say that there's, uh, there's more than three and less than ten. And one cop."

"What cop? There's no cop in there, Barry. There's no cop in there with you." Sam said.

"The delivery girl was miked, Sam."

"Let me tell you something, Barry, if there was a cop in there, you'd be disarmed right now."

Mashburn scoffed, then turned to look over at the hostages. He stopped. "Yeah, maybe."

"How many women do you have in there?" Sam asked.

"I got a few."

"Anybody old or sick?"

"No."

"What about kids? You have any children?" Mashburn didn't answer the question. "Barry, do you have a child in there?"

"What about him?"

"Well, we need to get him out."

"Yeah? Yeah, well, okay. Then I got to get something I need."

"Okay, what do you need? Tell me what you need."

"Uh, I need a, I need a helicopter to get me to the airport and I need a plane to get me out of the country."

"Okay, I hear you, I hear you. But those are very difficult things to arrange. You have to give us some time."

"I... I... I don't need anymore false promises."

"What are you talking about? We just started talking. There's no false promises here. What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"Let's just say people are liars, Sam."

"Okay, let's just say that people are liars. Let's just say that. But I'm not, okay? You know why I'm not? Because I have to keep my credibility. If I lie, I lose my credibility with you and that's not good, because we have to work this out together. You understand? We have to work this thing out together."

"Yeah, right, together. Huh."

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do, Barry. I'm going to give you something. Does anybody in there need food or water?"

"Uh, hold on." He turned to the hostages. "All right, is, uh, is anyone in here hungry?" No one said anything for a moment.

"Water. We could use some water." Casandra said.

"We could use some water." Mashburn said into the phone.

"Okay, let me ask you something. Is the boy with his mother or father?"

"Mother."

"I'll tell what I'm going to do. I'm going to send in some water and you're going to give me the boy and his mother."

"Yeah, uh, well... I'll think about it. All right, I got to go."

"Okay, and Barry... just wait a minute, okay?"

"What?"

"I just want to tell you that we have a direct telephone line hooked up between the bookstore and here. You pick up the phone on your end and the phone on my end will ring."

"A direct line?" Mashburn asked.

"Uh-huh, exactly, a direct line."

"Well, whoop-de-doo." Mashburn said and hung up.

//Movie House//

Sam put the phone down. "I think he's going to give us the boy."

//Mashburn's Old Residence//

Cosmo walked out of the house. He tucked his gun back into the holster at his waist. He walked down the front walk. The neighbor next door looked up from her open car trunk and saw Cosmo... and the gun. "Hey. What you doing in there?" she asked.

"Relax, ma'am. I'm with the LVPD. This is Barry Mashburn's house, yes?" Cosmo asked and walked up to the woman.

"It was. Did he do something wrong?"

"You could say that."

"Well, I guess, I guess that was inevitable."

"Why's that?" Cosmo asked.

"Um, he just never seemed to get over Natalie's death."

"How so?"

"Barry, he just never seemed to be able to right himself. Then he lost his job and everything just, it fell apart."

"How was he before everything fell apart?"

"He was a nice guy. He was kind of quiet. He loved those kids. Natalie was always working real late. He was the one who was here. You'd never know it by the look of this place, but, uh, he was always tending to the yard and making repairs around the house. He took a lot of pride in this place."

//Movie House//

The cell phone rang. Jim answered it. "Yeah?" Jim said into the phone.

"His house has been foreclosed, Jimmy." Cosmo said on the other end.

"Since when?"

"February."

"We didn't get anything from the victim's phone?"

"Apparently not."

"So... where's he been living these last months?"

"He still has that van; maybe he's living there." Cosmo said.

"What about his kids?" Jim asked.

"His neighbor thinks they went to live with their mother-in-law. Khandi's on it."

"Okay, well call me when you know."

"Got it." Cosmo said.

Jim put the phone down and looked at Sam who was sitting next to him at the table. "That Cosmo?"

"Yeah." Sam sighed and Jim looked at him. "She's gonna be okay, Sam."

"I know, Jim. She can handle herself."

//Conway Residence//

Khandi was interviewing Georgia Conway. "What is he doing? What can he possibly be thinking?"

"He asked for $687,000. Do have any idea why that exact amount?" Khandi asked.

"No, I have no idea. Obviously, he had money troubles, but..."

"Now I know this is sensitive, but do you have an idea why he didn't collect anything from the insurance?"

"For the life of me, I don't understand it. I know he was working with some lawyer, and there was some hold up about the paperwork."

Khandi nodded her head. "And Sydney Harrison? I mean, do you have an idea why he'd do something like this to her?"

Georgia shook her head. "No, she always tried to help him. That's why this just doesn't make any sense."

//Bookstore//

Mashburn turned and paced the floor. "Why don't you let Kyle go?" Casandra asked.

Surprised by this, Mashburn turned to look at Casandra. He then turned to look at Kyle who sat closely next to his mother. He looked at Kyle for a long moment. "All right, the kid can go. Get him up."

Kyle and Cheryl stood up. Mashburn walked to the phone and picked it up.

//Movie House//

Jim and Sam turned to look at the phone as it started to ring. Sam stood up. Mashburn waited for someone to pick up the ringing phone. Sam answered it. Jim and McKeen both listened in on the conversation. "Hello?" Sam said.

"Kid's coming out in two minutes." Mashburn said.

"What about the mother?"

"No, no, no, just the boy. We got a deal?"

//Bookstore//

Casandra nodded her head, knowing that Sam was not going to refuse it. "Yes, we have a deal. But listen, I have to send some detectives over to escort the boy out. I don't want you to be alarmed." Sam said.

"Yeah, okay." Mashburn replied and hung up.

//Movie House//

"We've got one coming out." McKeen said into his walkie talkie.

Jim picked up the binoculars and walked over to the window to watch the exchange.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn walked over to Kyle and his mother. The wall clock behind him read 3:45 pm. "No, mom, I'm not going without you." Kyle said.

"Yes you are, and I don't want to hear..." Cheryl started to say.

"Come on kid, now!" Mashburn interrupted.

Casandra turned to look at Mashburn. "Not without her." Kyle said.

"Kyle, you have to go now!" Cheryl said.

Casandra stood up quickly and grabbed Kyle. "Kyle, you listen to me. We're all here to protect your mom. She's going to be fine, okay? She's going to be fine. But you have to go, all right, honey? You have to go." Casandra put her arm around Kyle and tried to urge him toward the door and away from his mother.

Mashburn got impatient. He grabbed Kyle and pulled him away from his mother, the gun held high and pointed downward in his other hand. "You get the door." Mashburn said to Casandra.

She held both her hands up and took a step backward. "Don't point your gun at me."

"Go!" he ordered.

"Okay." Casandra said and headed for the door.

"Grab the water out there." Mashburn instructed her and dragged Kyle toward the door. "Let's go."

Kyle went, but he turned and looked back. "Mom!"

Mashburn also turned and looked back. Cheryl looked at Kyle. "Please." Cheryl pleaded.

Mashburn turned to look at Casandra who was standing next to the closed front door. She and everyone else looked at Mashburn waiting for his final decision. He turned to look back at Cheryl, then finally gave in. "All right, yeah, you, too. Come on. Yeah, come on." Cheryl rushed over to her son. Casandra nodded her head in relief. "Let's go."

Richard glanced over at Casandra's bag with the gun in it. Cheryl and Kyle headed toward the door. Casandra unlocked and opened the door. She reached out and grabbed the pack of bottled water from the detective. She went back inside. Cheryl and Kyle waited in the doorway.

//Movie House//

Jim narrated as he watched the exchange through the binnoculars. "It looks like he's sending the mother out too."

//Bookstore//

Cheryl and Kyle were escorted out of the bookstore. Casandra looked at the building across the street before heading back into the bookstore.

//Movie House//

Sam and Jim both brought down their binoculars. Jim turned to Sam. "Good work, Sammy." Jim nodded and raised his binoculars to look back out of the window.

//Bookstore//

Casandra closed and locked the front door. She leaned up against it and took a deep breath. Mashburn picked up the carton of bottled water. He held it and took a step toward Casandra. "You know, I wasn't really going to shoot you." he said.

"I know, I'm just..." She shook her head and looked down "... guns..." She grimaced.

"I, uh... you did good."

"So did you." Casandra said.

Mashburn took the bottled water back to the hostages. She watched as he walked back toward the group and got herself back under control.

Richard's eyes shifted from Mashburn back to Casandra. Casandra glanced down for a moment, then headed back toward the group.

//Movie House//

Jim interviewed Cheryl. Kyle sat next to his mother as she answered Jim's questions. On the whiteboard was the following list in two columns under the heading "HOSTAGES": First Column on the Left: 1. Casandra Riggs, LVPD Detective. 2. Libby Coulter, Sydney's Pers Assist. 3. Second Column on the Right: 4. Boy - Kyle 5. Boy's Mother 6. Fran -- 30 7. ROBERT. Numbers 4 and 5 on the list are crossed off.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure his name is Robert."

"Okay. How old?" Jim asked.

"Uh, about 50."

"White?"

"Yes."

"How tall?"

Sam turned away and pulled out his cell phone. It rang on the other side.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn stood behind the counter and picked up the telephone. His back was to the rest of the room. "Hello?"

"Barry? Listen, I really appreciate what you did. Letting the mother go, too." Sam said on the other end.

"Yeah, I didn't do that for you."

"I know. But I really appreciate it. I... It shows me what kind of... what kind of man you are."

"Yeah, well..."

"Look, Barry I think I understand why all of this is happening."

This stopped Mashburn for a moment. "Oh, you do know?"

"Yeah. I know what happened to your wife, and I am truly sorry."

"You're sorry?" Mashburn asked.

"Yeah. I've lost some good friends myself."

Mashburn scoffed. "Yeah. How about your wife? You... you lose her?" Casandra and Fran looked at him. "You lose your job, your house?"

"No, Barry, I didn't."

"Then don't tell me you understand, Sam."

"Look, I know it's not the same thing..."

"Yeah, well, I bet you didn't run over there looking for your wife... only to see people jumping out of the building, huh?"

Casandra took a deep breath. Even Libby was being affected by the one-sided conversation that they were overhearing. "Look, I know it's not the same, Barry, but I am sorry. And I got to tell you..." Sam said and paused "...people will understand... why you've done this. People will understand how it's come to this. All I want to do is get you out of there unharmed."

"No. You want to help me, you get me my helicopter."

"I'm working on a helicopter. Okay? I am, but it's... it's complicated. You know, we can't land one in the middle of the street. It involves transport, an airport. I got to get a clearance from the FAA. There's a lot of things that I don't have any control over."

"All right, all right. I want to talk to your boss."

"Come on. You can't do that, Barry. You got to work this out with me, understand? We have to work this out together."

"What, you think I'm stupid, don't you?" Mashburn asked.

"No. Of course I don't think you're stupid. Barry... how could you have pulled off the kidnapping with Sydney if you were stupid?"

"No, no, no, no, no... this is not about Sydney now, okay?"

"Look, let's just talk about her for a minute, okay? Look, why don't you give her to me? Okay? You've got all the hostages in there. You don't need her."

"Are you kidding me? I tell you where Sydney is, you come running in here with the cavalry. You kill us all."

"What are you talking about, Barry? Look, just slow down for a second, okay? Nobody is going to send anybody to kill anyone, all right? I'm not going to kill you. All I want to do is get everybody out of there unharmed."

"Now, look, I, uh, I have no control over Sydney's whereabouts right now. Uh... but one word from me, and she is dead. Do you understand that?"

"Listen, Barry, it's counterproductive to make threats, okay? It's not going to help either one of us."

"No? Well, how about this?" Masburn asked and walked around the counter. He held the gun out and pointed it unconsciously at the hostages in front of him to emphasize his point to Sam. "Right, you don't get me my helicopter in the next hour... somebody in here gets hurt. Do you understand that?"

Richard turned and stared at Casandra's bag in between the two shelves. Fran and Libby held onto each other's hands. The clock on the wall read 4:00 pm.

Mashburn swung the gun in his hand at the hostages. He held the phone's mouthpiece against his shoulder as he talked with the hostages. "I'm not bluffing, people. I will do what I have to do." He walked back to the counter.

Richard stared at Casandra. She turned and looked at Richard. She deliberately shook her head at him. Mashburn slammed the phone down.

//Movie House//

Sam looked at the phone in his hand. Behind him McKeen also removed his own phone piece. Sam hung up the phone and rubbed his hands over his tired eyes.

//Outside Copy Place//

"You hired Barry because he knew about copy machines?" Cosmo asked.

Cosmo was interviewing the Manager of the Copy Place that last fired Mashburn. Before answering Cosmo's last question, the Manager threw his cigarette butt out onto the sidewalk. "Sydney vouched for him, so I figured Barry must be the best guy for the job." He turned around to look at Cosmo.

"How long did he work here?" Cosmo asked.

"Two weeks."

"That's it?"

"He had a short fuse. I asked him to stay late a few minutes one night. Next thing I know, he's throwing a scanner at my head."

"Well, it looks like he missed you."

"Missed me by that much." The Manager held out his thumb and index finger to show Cosmo about an inch of space in between. "A thousand dollar piece of equipment smashed to pieces."

"Let me get this straight. All you did was ask him to stay late? I mean, that's what set him off?"

"We had an obnoxious customer. He was giving Barry a hard time. Barry snapped at the guy. I told him to apologize. He freaked out."

"Did you call the cops?" Cosmo asked.

"No. Sidney begged me not to. Said he's having a rough time lately. But if he ever came back again, I'd press charges."

//Bookstore//

Casandra looked at Mashburn who was sitting on the floor with the other hostages. She considered him and then made a decision. "I was there that day. I'm a nurse. I was, uh ... treating the injured people that came out of the building." Casandra lied.

Richard perked up to listen when Casandra started talking. Mashburn looked at her. "But no survivors?" Mashburn asked.

"A few. Not enough." For a moment, there was silence. Then from around the counter that they were leaning against, another voice spoke up.

Both Casandra and Mashburn turned to look at Ted. "My cousin... worked in that building. He got out, but... he's never been the same."

"One of those people... was my wife." Casandra turned to glance at Mashburn. "You've got her job now." Libby looked at him, shocked at what he just said. It was obvious that she didn't know.

"Natalie was your wife?" Libby asked.

"That's right. That's right."

"Sydney always talked about her, but I never knew her last name. I never knew that you..."

"It's me."

"Sydney says that your wife was wonderful."

Mashburn nodded his head unimpressed by the compliments from Sydney. "Yeah, she was, she was. She was. She so wonderful that, uh, Sydney had her working twelve... thirteen hour days. You know, she was so wonderful that, um... when she asked if she could come in a little bit later so she could take our kids to school, Sydney said, 'uh, uh, no, no. I don't think that's a good idea. No. There-there's too many phones to answer, too many copies to copy, too much filing'. That's how 'wonderful' she was." Mashburn's voice broke. "Yeah. Yeah." He regained some composure but kept his eyes closed. "She was so wonderful that... now I wake up... every morning, and I walk down to that place... just to smell her ashes." Casandra watched Mashburn with tears in her eyes. Libby started to cry. "What time do you have to come in now?"

"9:30." Libby replied sobbing.

"Yeah. Yeah. That's what I thought. Natalie had to be in at eight. She would still be alive... if that bitch had let her take our kids... to school."

Richard leaned forward toward Casandra. She turned away from Mashburn toward Richard and sent him a warning look. The gun cartridge clicked.

"Bonding session's over." Mashburn said, got to his feet and looked at the hostages. "Thanks for playing." He turned his back to the hostages and stepped away from them. Casandra turned away from Mashburn and once again looked at Richard. He looked at her expectantly and sighed.

//Movie House//

Sam had the phone to his ear. It rang on the other end. He waited for someone to answer it. He turned to look out the window at the bookstore.

//Bookstore//

The phone on the counter top was ringing. Mashburn walked over to the phone and placed both hands flat on the counter. He leaned over the phone as it continued to ring. "Oh, for God's sake! We're not getting anything worked out just sitting here. Answer the damn phone!" Richard yelled.

"Why don't you just leave him alone, okay? He's just trying to figure out what to do." Casandra said.

Mashburn looked at Casandra and got an idea. "Casandra... you answer it."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Tell him I don't want to speak to him until I get my helicopter."

"But I really don't want to get in the middle of this, okay? I... I..."

"No. No. Tell him... tell him that you're scared, I'm crazy, and if I don't get what I want... I'm going to start throwing bodies... out that door there." He pointed the gun at Casandra. "Do it!"

Casandra slowly got up off of the floor. She walked to the phone and answered it. "Hello?" she said.

"Who am I speaking to?" Sam asked on the other end.

//Movie House//

"This is Casandra."

In front of the whiteboard, Jim stopped pacing the floor at the sound of Casandra's voice over the headset. He looked at Sam and nodded slightly.

"Barry listening, Casandra?" Sam asked.

McKeen was also listening in on the conversation. "Tell him what I told you. Tell him!" Mashburn was yelling in the background.

Casandra was sounding nervous but she wasn't really. "H... he... he wants me to tell you that he's crazy, and if you don't give him what he wants, he's going to start shooting people."

//Bookstore//

The wall clock behind Casandra read 6:15 p.m. "A... a... and that I'm not joking..." Mashburn continued to yell out instructions to Casandra.

//Movie House//

"Okay, I can hear him in the background. Um, can you tell me how many hostages there are, including you?" Sam asked.

"You've got five minutes to give us an answer."

Sam pulled his hand out of his pocket and held up five fingers to Jim. Jim added two question marks next to Fran and Robert on the whiteboard list. "Okay. I've got Libby, Fran, and Robert. Is that right?" Sam asked.

"I would say that there are two to one odds that somebody is going to freak out if you don't get us the hell out of here. You understand?"

"Okay, two of them are right. One of them is off." Sam said to Jim. "Who am I missing?" he asked Casandra.

//Bookstore//

With Mashburn intent on Casandra's phone conversation, Richard turned his head and saw his opportunity to go for Casandra's bag between the two shelves. He moved slowly. Casandra bobbed her head and looked at the phone, confused. "You want to talk to the guy who works here?" She turned to Mashburn. "He wants to talk to Ted."

Mashburn took a few steps to his right and moved in front of Casandra. He was now standing with his back fully to Richard who continued to slither slowly across the floor toward Casandra's bag. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"No! Tell him to forget it."

"No. He says forget it." Ted let out a visible sigh of relief.

"That's nice work, Cas." Sam said.

"Listen, everybody really wants to get the hell out of here, okay?"

Though the change was subtle, Sam picked up on it instantly. "Is there something wrong?"

Richard inched closer toward Casandra's bag. He was halfway there. "We're really glad you're making progress..." Richard glanced at Casandra and held up a hand to her. He continued to move toward the bag. "...because we all really want to get the hell out of here. You know what I'm saying?"

"What's going on in there, Casandra? Is somebody hurt?" Sam asked.

"No. Nobody's going to do anything stupid."

Richard reached the bag. Casandra saw Richard on the floor near her bag. "What's he saying?" Mashburn asked. He turned around and saw Richard near the shelf. He immediately ran toward him. "Hey!"

Richard grabbed the gun and stood up. Mashburn reached Richard first, swung with his gun hand and hit him in the jaw. Casandra saw Richard take the brunt of the blow, turn and grab something off of the shelf to swing at Mashburn. She moved from her spot. She dropped the phone and ran toward the two men.

Fran and Libby watched Casandra, their mouths hanging open. Both men fought and struggle to gain control of the gun. The gun fired.

//Movie House//

Jim raised his eyes and looked at Sam. Sam didn't move. He listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. From phone: They heard something hit the floor with a thud.

//Bookstore//

Ted curled up into a ball on his side on the floor, his arms protectively over his head. The two men continued to struggle for the gun. Then a second gunshot was heard.

//Movie House//

Sam's eyes darted back and forth as he clutched the phone and listened. "Casandra?Casandra? Casandra!?"

**TBC...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

//Movie House//

Sam listened over the phone. All he heard were the women screaming on the other side. "Casandra? Casandra?"

//Bookstore//

Mashburn wrestled the gun away from Richard who was now sitting on the floor. Libby and Fran stared at something. Their eyes wide with horror, their screams continuous. Mashburn turned to them and yelled. "Shut up! Everybody, shut up!" The women stopped screaming. He looked around the room and saw what they'd been screaming about. "God!" Ted's eyes were wide as he stared at something, too. Casandra's left leg. The bullet penetrated through her upper thigh and was bleeding. She put her hand over it and applied pressure to the wound. She let out a grunt of pain and started to hyperventilate to get the pain under control.

Mashburn picked up the second gun from the floor. Richard stared at Casandra. "Oh, God!" Mashburn said.

"Oh, my God!" Libby repeated.

"Oh! God! God." Mashburn said.

The telephone was hanging off the counter. "Casandra!" Sam's voice sounded through the receiver. Mashburn picked up the telephone. "Casandra!" Mashburn hung it up, cutting Sam off.

//Movie House//

Sam hung up his phone. "Lost contact." he said. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He looked outside the window at the bookstore across the street and sighed.

//Bookstore//

Casandra grunted and breathed hard. Fran stared at the wound. Ted inched toward Casandra. Mashburn walked across the floor. "Oh, god!" Fran said.

"What do we do? What do we do?!" Ted asked panicking.

"Ted! You're going to have to wrap it up, okay?" Casandra shouted.

Mashburn tossed something to Ted. "Use that."

"Wrap it up." Casandra said.

The phone started to ring. Mashburn paced the floor, thinking. Casandra urged Ted to hurry. Ted moved as fast as he could. "Tighter. Tighter!"

Mashburn rounded on Richard. "Where'd you get the gun?!"

He pointed and stuttered, trying not to give Casandra away. "It was... I... I... it was over there. I don't know. It was there."

"You the cop?" Mashburn asked Richard.

He scoffed. "If I was, I'd have taken you out five hours ago."

"All right, who's the cop? Huh?" Mashburn swung his gun around.

Libby started panicking. "I am!" Casandra shouted. Mashburn looked at Casandra, surprised by her admission. Even Fran stared at Casandra, disbelief on her face. "I'm with the LVPD." Casandra continued to pant. Regardless of the heat inside the bookstore, she started to shiver.

"No way." Mashburn stated shocked.

Casandra clutched her bandaged leg and pants. "My ID's over there. Why don't you... why don't you check it out?" Mashburn looked for Casandra's bag. He found it and looked at the ID inside. "Tighter!" she yelled at Ted. "That's good." she said softer.

The telephone continued to ring in the background. "Goddamn!" Frustrated at finding a cop in the store with him, Mashburn threw the ID aside and turned over the book display table.

Richard scrambled to get out of his way. Casandra's face was pale and she was panting. "Listen to me. If you don't answer that phone, SWAT is going to come in here within two minutes."

"Shut up! Make a sound, I kill her!" Someone screamed. Mashburn moved behind the counter. He looked at the ringing phone. He waved his gun around and yelled. "Shut up! Everyone, shut up!" He looked down at the phone again and took a deep breath. He answered it. "Hello."

//Movie House//

"Barry, what's going on in there?" Sam asked.

"Nothing. Everything's fine."

"Well, I heard a gunshot."

"It was an accident. Everyone's fine."

"So nobody's been shot?" Sam asked.

"No, no, no."

"Well, then, what happened?" Sam waited for Mashburn to answer him. There was no response. "Barry, what happened?"

"One of the idiots tried to jump me. My gun went off, but it, uh, it... it shot into the floor."

"Okay, okay. Uh. Let me talk to somebody else in there."

"What, you don't believe me?" Mashburn asked.

"Well, two minutes ago, you were talking about shooting people."

"I... I never said that."

"Yeah, that's what you told Casandra to tell me."

"Well, she was just nervous. She... she... she wanted to get out of here."

"Okay, well, let me talk to her."

"No! No, you got to take my word for it. I don't want to talk right now." Mashburn hung up the phone. The line disconnected on Sam.

//Bookstore//

As soon as Mashburn hung up the phone, Casandra started to pant out loud again. She started issuing instructions. "Okay, listen to me. Ted, you've got to elevate my leg..." She took a shuddering breath. "Okay? You got to get my leg up." Ted stood up to get a chair.

//Conway Residence//

Khandi interviewed Rachel and Patrick. Georgia was also in the room. "Well, when your dad comes to visit, what do you guys do?" Khandi asked.

"Watch TV, play frisbee in the backyard. Sometimes dad brings our bikes, and we go ride them in the park." Rachel said.

"Do you know this lady?" Khandi showed Rachel a photo of Sydney.

"That's Sydney, my mom's old boss."

"Does your dad ever talk about her?"

"What is this about? What did my father do?" Patrick asked.

"He's just in a little bit of trouble, and I'm trying to help him get out of it." Khandi replied.

//CSI - A/V Lab//

Cosmo walked into the room. "What do you got?" he asked.

"The final location where Mashburn sent the e-mails from the Copy That store." Archie said and handed Cosmo a slip of paper.

"Anything important?"

"We may have found his accomplice. Ten minutes after he fired off that ransom note, he got an e-mail." Archie hit some keys on the keyboard and a second e-mail popped up on screen. "E-mail address is registered to a Stanley Osbourne. Running the particulars." "Thank you." Cosmo said and left the room.

//Bookstore//

Casandra was grunting and panting in pain. She was now lying flat on the floor, her injured leg elevated on a chair. The jeans on her upper leg around the wound was soaked with blood. Ted held her leg up, assisting her any way he can. "Is that high enough?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"How is she?" Mashburn asked.

"You got to get me out of here, Barry." Casandra said.

"She's bleeding really bad." Libby said softly.

Mashburn was simply frustrated. Casandra's hands were covered with blood. Mashburn walked to the counter. He took a breath and picked up the phone.

//Movie House//

The phone rang and Sam answered it. "Yeah?"

"Okay, look..." In the background, Casandra coughed. "We need a doctor."

"What for?"

"Somebody got shot."

Jim looked grim. Sam stood up and moved to the window. "Who?"

Mashburn nodded his head, preparing for the worst. "Casandra."

Jim let out a breath. "How bad is it?" Sam asked.

"It... it was an accident."

"I didn't ask you what happened. I asked you how bad it was." McKeen turned to look at Sam. Jim didn't move. "You've been jerking me around for 45 minutes, Barry."

"What are you talking about? You lied to me! You've been lying this whole time!" Mashburn yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I found her badge, Sam! She's one of yours."

Sam remained silent. Jim looked down at the table. "Okay, Barry, look. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. I just thought by telling you it'd make the situation worse. But the most important thing is that we have to get medical attention to Casandra now. Do you understand me? Now."

"Well, why... why can't you just send a doctor in here?"

Sam looked over at McKeen. He snapped his fingers to get Sam's attention and signaled a definite 'no'. Sam saw it and closed his eyes. " 'Cause I can't do that."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I have no guarantee that you'll let him go, and then I've given you another hostage."

"I'll let him out. I swear. What..."

"Let me talk to Casandra."

"Why?"

"Because she's the person best qualified to tell me what's wrong with her." Mashburn didn't respond. "Come on, Barry. Just do it!" Sam ordered firmly.

Mashburn sighed and agreed. "Okay."

//Bookstore//

Mashburn grabbed the phone and walked toward Casandra. She saw him and shook her head in confusion. "What?" she asked.

Mashburn knelt down next to Casandra and held the phone awkwardly to her ear. "All right, here."

"Hello? I can't hear. Hello?" Casandra said.

"Casandra." Sam said softly.

"Yeah."

"How bad is it?"

Casandra grit her teeth. "It's my leg. I'm pretty sure it's a through-and- through. Listen, it was an accident. Sam, you don't go tactical!"

Mashburn pulled the phone away from her. "Hey, maybe you could just get some supplies in here, okay?"

"Blankets." Casandra said.

"We could use some blankets." Mashburn repeated into the phone.

"Gauze."

"Gauze, and, uh, and maybe some more water."

"Now, Barry, I want you to listen to me, and listen to me very carefully..." Sam said.

"No!" Mashburn shouted and startled Casandra. "No, you listen to me!" He grabbed the phone and headed back to the counter. "You lied to me. You know she's been here this whole time, and you've been talking to her on the phone, probably had some sort of, uh, uh, uh... coded messages. You know, you say you want to work this out together. That's how you do it -- by lying to me? You want to help her? You send in a doctor." Mashburn slammed the phone down.

//Movie House//

The line disconnected. Sam looked up from the phone in his hand. He walked over to McKeen. "We're not sending in a doctor, we have to send in the SWAT team." Sam said.

"Sam, when I asked you if you could keep your objectivity with Riggs inside there, you said you could. Now, she said it was an accident. She said it was a through-and-through."

"Yeah, and I think she's not telling the truth. For all we know, he had a gun to her head. We can't take anything she says at face value."

"SWAT is the last resort. Now, do your job and negotiate your detective out of there."

Sam nodded his head and went back to the phone.

McKeen turned around to look at Jim. "We need a trauma one medical kit in there right away, please."

Jim picked up the walkie-talkie. "CB to health one, come in."

Sam walked back to the window and looked outside at the bookstore across the street.

//Bookstore//

Casandra, who was on the floor in the same position, unmoving and in shock. She stared up at the ceiling, unmoving, her face pale, eyes at half-mast. The bandage around her leg was soaked clear through and her breathing labored.

//Conway Residence//

Khandi sat with Georgia. "How long have Patrick and Rachel been staying with you?" Khandi asked.

"Barry showed up here about two months ago. Says he lost the house, wants me to keep the kids... and I knew something was off about him, the way he hugged the kids good-bye. Two nights later, the police call. They say they found him unconscious in his van in an enclosed garage, and he had the engine running. He claims he kept it running because of the heat."

"And he didn't get himself any psychiatric care?"

"I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't even admit what had happened. I remember the first time I met Barry. He was so nervous and shy. But he had this natural sweetness, you know, this innocence about him. And, oh, he adored Natalie. His whole face came alive when she was around him, and... if she'd walk out of the room, he... it was almost like he was lost. She was his whole life."

//Movie House//

Jim walked in and joined Sam. "Hey, Khandi just had this sent over." Jim handed the check to Sam. "That's the check that Sydney cut for Barry. It's $9,000 and some change. It's too bad Barry didn't see that before." Jim looked at the black and white photo of Mashburn hanging on the Whiteboard.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that as long as his wife was dead and Sydney is alive, it was never going to be enough." Sam said and stood up.

"You know, if this guy did kill Sydney, he's not going to have too much regret about Casandra. I mean, she's just another person who betrayed him." Jim said and turned to look at Sam. Sam looked back at Jim.

//Bookstore//

Inside, Mashburn and everyone listened to the radio. "I guess that's the world we live in these days. You're in a bookstore buying a book for grandma and some whacko comes in waving a gun around and starts shooting people." the caller said.

"All right. Thanks for calling, John. The suspect's name is Barry Mashburn but there's still no word on what could possibly..."

Mashburn turned the radio off. Casandra was still conscious. She now had white gauze wrapped around her leg. It was just as drenched with blood. Mashburn picked up the phone.

//Movie House//

The phone rang and Sam answered it. McKeen and Jim both reached for their headsets to listen in on the conversation. "Yeah?" Sam said.

"They're going to turn me into a maniac, aren't they?"

"Who, Barry?" Sam asked.

"The press."

"Yeah, they probably will do that. Sooner or later, it was going to come out. It's inevitable."

//Bookstore//

Mashburn turned to look at Casandra. The bandage around her leg was soaked through with blood and she was lying pale on the floor struggling to breathe. He turned back to the phone. "Look, Sam, Sam, I... I never wanted any of this to happen. Okay, I just wanted..."

"What, Barry? What did you want?" Sam asked.

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I wanted. I... I... don't even know what I'm doing here."

"Listen to me. You've made some bad decisions, but it's not too late. You can get yourself out of this."

"Okay, okay, Sam, please, tell them that it was an accident."

"Look, Barry, I can tell them all of that, but they're not going to believe it until you let Casandra go."

Mashburn looked over at Casandra. "T... tell them that... that it ... tell the press it... it was an accident and I will... I will ... I will release someone else to you. I promise." Casandra turned her head and looked at Mashburn.

"Why not her?"

"No, no, no. She's my insurance."

"Against what?" Sam asked.

"So... so that you get moving on my helicopter."

"Look, Barry, Casandra's life is no more important than anyone else's, but she's the one who's been shot."

"No, th... this is not negotiable, Sam. She stays."

//Movie House//

Sam and Jim looked at each other. Sam took a moment. "Who do you want to give me?" Sam asked.

"Okay."

//Bookstore//

Mashburn looked around the room at the other hostages. He knew who. "The Idiot." he said looking at Richard.

//LVPD - Interrogation Room//

Cosmo was interviewing Stanley Osbourne. He handed Osbourne a printout of the e-mail message. "Mr. Osbourne, you sent Barry Mashburn an e-mail this morning." Cosmo said.

"Yes, that's right."

" 'Barry, call me ASAP'. Sounds important."

"It was."

"So important that, well, you couldn't say what it was about, right?"

"I wanted to speak to him in person. I'm his attorney. I needed to speak to him about his insurance. I'd set up another appointment for him to, uh, sign the papers."

"Wait, another appointment? Why another appointment?"

"Well, the first one was a disaster. I tried to reschedule an appointment but he... he just didn't want to do it. Even when he lost the house."

"Why? Did he want more money, or...?" Cosmo asked.

"No. He said it wasn't about the money."

//Bookstore//

Casandra was on the floor, her leg elevated. The gauze on her wound was soaked even more with her blood. The radio was on. "According to the Las Vegas Police Department, the shooting is now believed to have been an accident, and they are working closely with the gunman, Barry Mashburn, to arrange for the victim to be transported to a hospital." the newscaster reported.

Mashburn turned the radio off. "Okay, you're going out." he said to Richard.

"What about her?" Richard asked.

Casandra turned her head slowly and looked at Richard. She didn't say anything. "This isn't a discussion, 'Dick'." Mashburn said.

//Movie House//

Through the window, Sam watched the front door of bookstore open and Richard walk out. Several SWAT team members inched forward to meet with him. "LVPD, get your hands in the air and turn around!" Sam stood at the window and watched. "Come back toward me!" Jim joined Sam at the window. They both watched. "Right in the middle of your back! Hands in the middle of your back!" They handcuffed Richard. "Let's go! Let's go!"

"Wh... what the heck?" Richard asked.

They dragged Richard off to the side. Jim and Sam watced from the window, then left.

//Back Alley//

Richard was safely on the other side of the street behind the movie house building. He rubbed his uncuffed wrists. Jim and Sam approached him. "What the hell did you handcuff me for?" Richard asked.

"Standard procedure. For all we know, you could've been an accomplice. We had to check you out." Jim replied.

"W... wait, you're investigating me? While all I've been doing the whole time is trying to stop the guy?"

"And you got one of our detectives shot because of it." Sam stated angrily.

"Well, maybe, if you guys weren't sitting around here with your thumbs up your asses, we wouldn't have to be in there trying to take the fight..." Richard said defensively.

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up, all right?" Jim stated trying to hold his temper in check.

"Do me a favor? Just tell me how she is." Sam said.

Richard looked at Sam and there was just something in his voice as he answered the question that did nothing to reassure either Jim or Sam of their concerns. "She's bleeding all over the place. She's going to die in there."

Jim signaled the officer. "Take him in." They lead Richard away.

Sam put a hand to his forehead. He and Jim stepped aside. Sam took a couple of steps toward the edge of the alleyway. Jim followed him. "You heard what he said. We can't just sit around here anymore." Jim said worried.

Sam didn't respond. He stared at the bookstore across the street and made a decision. He reached for the holster at his waist and removed it. He shoved it at Jim. "Grab that."

Jim grabbed the gun. "What are you doing?" Jim asked concerned.

But Sam was beyond listening. His thoughts were only on that bookstore. He turned his head and looked outside at the bookstore across the street. He handed his wallet over to Jim also. And with that, Sam started walking across the street... toward the bookstore... and Casandra.

//Street in front of the bookstore//

Determined, Sam walked across the street. Jim ducked back into the alley and into the Movie House. "Barry!" Sam yelled. He was across the street. He was moving closer to the bookstore at a rapid rate.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn leaned on the counter and stared at the wall in front of him. "Barry Mashburn!" Sam yelled from outside.

Mashburn turned his head and looked at the front door. Casandra heard Sam's voice and turned her head toward the door. She could barely keep her eyes open, her face pale and body shivering despite the heat in the store. "Barry!" he yelled again.

//Outside//

Sam reached the front of the bookstore and stopped. "Come to the door, I want to talk to you!" he shouted.

//Movie House//

Jim walked into the room carrying Sam's things in his hands. McKeen stared out the window. "What the hell is he doing?" he asked. Jim didn't say anything. He headed for the window to stand next to McKeen and to watch.

//Outside//

"Barry!"

//Bookstore//

Mashburn turned around and motioned to Ted. "Come here." He put his arm around Ted's neck and dragged him toward the front door.

"Come to the door. I want to talk to you! Come on, Barry, open the door!" Sam yelled from outside. Mashburn peered through the front window blinds. "Open the door! I want to talk!"

Mashburn unlocked and opened the door and saw Sam standing in front of the store a good distance away. Sam saw that Mashburn had a hold of Ted and held the gun to his forehead. "Who the hell are you?!" Mashburn yelled.

"I'm the guy you've been talking to." Sam took off his badge and showed it to Mashburn. "Sam Gerard, LVPD."

"Well, what do you want?"

"I want to come in."

"No way!"

"Yeah, yeah, come on, let me in..." Sam took off his tie and throws it aside. "Look, I got nothing, all right?! Nothing!" He took off his jacket and dropped it to the ground. "Nothing! No gun. I'm not wired..." Sam lifted up his shirt and showed Mashburn his bare chest. "Nothing, see?" He put his shirt down and raised his arms high up above his head. "Nothing!"

Mashburn craned his neck to look at Sam around Ted, who was in front of him. "What do you want?"

"I want Casandra!"

Casandra was on the floor, pale and shivering, fully aware that Sam was standing just beyond the door. "And why should I give her to you?"

"Because she is bleeding to death..." Sam yelled and took a cautious step toward the bookstore. "...and I know that you're not a murderer!"

Mashburn glanced back at Casandra, fearing that what he said was true. "Well... what do I get in return?"

Without hesitation, Sam answered him. "Me. You get me." Sam walked toward the front door and didn't stop till he got there. "Come on, Barry, it's a great trade!" From the window across the street, McKeen and Jim watched. Sam reached the front door. "Come on, Barry, back away from the door. Let me come in. You're doing fine."

Mashburn backed away from the door and the door slowly swung shut. Sam reached the door and pushed it open before it closed. He stepped into the bookstore.

**TBC...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

//Bookstore//

"Nice and easy." Sam said as he entered. Sam saw Mashburn holding the gun to Ted's head. He shifted his gaze and saw Casandra in the back of the room, lying on the floor with her leg propped up on a chair. Fran and Libby sat further behind her. Immediately, Sam's gaze went back to Mashburn. Sam stepped into the bookstore, the door closed shut behind him. "I swear to you, I got nothing." Sam cautiously inched his way around Mashburn and Ted and toward Casandra. "Everything's going to be fine. Just... it's okay. Nice and easy." Mashburn turned around and kept his eyes on Sam. Sam continued to walk backward toward the back of the bookstore. "Everything's going to be fine. I just want to check this out." Mashburn nodded and his eyes shifted downward toward Casandra. Sam stepped around her and knelt down next to her. Casandra's eyes followed Sam, her breathing shallow and labored. Sam reached down and lightly brushed the hair at her forehead with his knuckles. "How you doing, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay." Casandra said. But she's not. She looked at Sam and started to cry.

"Okay." Sam glanced up at Mashburn then back down at Casandra. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Casandra regained control of her emotions. " 'Kay. Okay."

Sam put a hand around the back of Casandra's neck and helped her up. He struggled to get her up, Casandra in obvious pain with every movement. "Easy." Sam said.

Casandra was panting in pain. "Oh, God!"

"Easy, easy, easy." Sam managed to get Casandra sitting up. Sam was behind her now. He put his hands under her arms and lifted her up, helping her to stand. She cried out in pain at the exertion. "It's okay. Okay, let's get you up." Sam said.

"Okay, okay." Casandra said.

"It's okay. It's okay." Again, he struggled, but managed to get Casandra on her feet. "Okay, grab me."

Casandra put her arms around Sam and he lifted her up off of the floor. She hung onto Sam and he started to move toward the front door. Mashburn watched them carefully as they passed by him. "Come back! Or the kid's dead!" Mashburn yelled. The front door opened.

//Outside//

Sam carried Casandra out of the bookstore and to the empty bench just outside the wall. "Easy." Sam said.

Casandra grunted. "Oh, God."

Sam set her down gently on the bench and looked at her, his hand lingering on the back of her head. Casandra reached out and cupped Sam's cheek with her bloodied hand. "I'm okay."

"Be back soon, okay?" Sam said quietly.

Casandra nodded. "Mm-hmm."

Sam grabbed her arm and backed away from her. McKeen and Jim were watching through the window from across the street. Sam backed away from Casandra. The SWAT team inched forward toward her. Sam headed back into the bookstore. With one last look, he pushed the door open and ran inside.

//Outside - Later//

Casandra was lying on a gurney just outside the ambulance. She was propped up, hooked up to an IV as the paramedics already worked on her and was preparing her for transport. Sam walked up to her. "Hey, there."

Casandra saw Sam and started to cry. "I'm so sorry."

Sam leaned in and reassured her, but Casandra had a tenuous hold on her emotions. "Hey. Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. I mean, you were fantastic in there. Do you hear me?" She nodded and tried to regain control over her emotions. "You did good, okay." She nodded. "Okay?" Sam put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Casandra and focused on Sam. "Okay." she said.

"You're going to be all right."

Casandra nodded. "Yeah." She kept her eyes on Sam, focused on what he was saying.

Sam sighed. "Look, I only got five minutes with you okay, and I know it's going to be hard to talk, but I need you to give me whatever you can about the hostages."

"Libby... Libby is... the most likely to panic. Uh... uh, Fran is... is strong, and Ted... Ted... Ted, okay... is, um... he's... he's too scared to cause any trouble."

"Okay. And what about Barry? Barry Mashburn."

"Paranoid, volatile, high-strung."

"Did he mention suicide?" Sam asked.

"No."

"No?"

Casandra shook her head. "Uh-uh."

"No. Okay, did he talk about his kids?"

Casandra shook her head. "Uh-uh."

"And what about Sydney? Sydney Harrison? Do you think he killed her?"

Casandra paused as she looked at Sam. She started to cry. "I don't know. I don't know." Casandra started to loose it again.

Sam reached out and placed his hand on her head. He brushed her forehead lightly with his thumb. "Okay, okay. Okay." Casandra stopped crying. "All right. Look, did, he, uh... did he talk about an accomplice, a partner?"

Casandra closed her eyes and thought about it. She was getting tired. "Uh... uh... no, he..." She looked at Sam. "...he didn't mention a partner. He didn't... he didn't call anyone."

"All right, thanks." Sam kissed her lightly and then stepped away from the gurney and signaled to the paramedics standing on the side. "Okay, guys. Let's get her to the hospital." They pushed her gurney into the vehicle. "You're going to be all right. You hear me?"

"Mmmm." Was all she said.

They got her inside and started the engine. Sam stood there as they closed the vehicle doors. He didn't move. He continued to stand there and watched as the vehicle drove away.

//Bookstore//

Everything was quiet. Sam watched Mashburn from across the room. He sat on the floor with his back up against the counter, his eyes closed.

Sam sat on the chair at the back of the room next to Libby and Fran. He turned to look at them for a moment. Then his eyes shifted back to Mashburn. "Barry, um... I want to talk to you about, uh, Sydney Harrison." Sam said.

"What about her?"

"Well, your partner, uh... he must know about this. It's been all over the news."

"And?"

"I just think you should call him. I don't want him to panic."

"She's fine. He won't hurt her."

"Right, but you told me that if you didn't call him before midnight that he would kill her."

"All right, all right, all right. You know what? I'm tired of this game. I don't want to talk about Sydney Harrison, okay?"

"I think we have to. I think it's the whole reason we're here."

Mashburn held up the gun and pointed it at Sam. "I mean it, Sam."

Unconcerned, Sam raised his arm in surrender. He won't continue push the issue.

//Movie House//

Cosmo was inside with Jim. He got a theory that he shared with him as Jim ate his dinner. "So, the man's nowhere in the area, right?" Cosmo asked.

"Right." Jim said.

"How was he planning on getting away?"

"Well, the subway's right here."

"Which is why he picked this bookstore for the drop-off."

"What do you think? Was he going uptown or down?" Jim asked.

Cosmo pointed at the map in front of him. "The F goes all the way to North Vegas, which is an area he knows well."

"Right."

"What if he ditched his van near one of the subway stops and left Sydney in the back?"

"And there's seven stops between here and there."

"Mm-hmm. I'm going to call transit authority." Cosmo said.

"All right."

Cosmo stepped away from the table.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn paced the floor. He pulled out a cell phone and started to dial. It rang.

//Conway Residence//

The phone rang and Khandi answered it. "Conway residence."

"Who's this?" Mashburn asked.

"This is Captain Brass of the LVPD." Khandi looked at Georgia and pointed to the phone. Georgia nodded her head.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn looked at Sam, surprised to hear Khandi there. Sam didn't appear surprised at all. "What the hell are you doing there?" Mashburn asked.

"I'm making sure your kids are okay." Khandi replied.

Mashburn sighed. He put the phone down and looked at Sam. "You sent someone there to watch my kids?"

"We just didn't want them to see it on the news." Sam said.

"All right, uh... I want to speak to them. Put them on, please."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mashburn, but I can't do that." Khandi said.

Mashburn looked at Sam. "Why won't you let me talk to my kids?"

Without missing a beat, Sam pointed to Ted, Libby and Fran sitting on the side. "You let them go, and I'll put your kids on the phone." Sam said.

"I'm giving you three hostages so I can talk to my own children?"

"You got me. That's all the protection you need."

"No!" He showed Sam the gun in his hand. "This is all the protection I need. You let me talk to my kids, or she dies!" He whirled around and pointed the gun at Fran's head. Fran cried out in fear.

"You pull that trigger, and the whole SWAT team comes in here, and you never get to speak to your kids again." Sam said. Khandi continued to listen to what was going on inside the bookstore through the phone. "Is that what you want?" Mashburn glared at Sam. Sam didn't budge. "My way's better." Mashburn took a deep breath. "You got me. It's all you need."

He pointed the gun at Sam and handed him the phone. "Tell her."

Sam took the phone. "It's me." he said.

"Are you all right?" Khandi asked worried.

"Yeah. Go ahead and put his kids on the phone."

"Are you sure?"

Sam looked at Mashburn. "Trust me."

"I always do." Khandi said.

Sam looked at Mashburn. "Um... let them go, I'll get your kids on the phone."

"No. I talk to my kids first." Mashburn said.

"I've been a man of my word." Sam stated.

"Yeah. So have I." Mashburn pointed the gun at Sam.

Sam compromised. "I'll tell you what. Um... we'll let Ted and Fran go. And you can talk to your kids. And then we let Libby go."

"All right. You can go." Not waiting another second, Ted and Fran both jumped to their feet. Ted headed directly for the front door as fast as he could. Fran grabbed her things and followed him just as quickly.

"Put his kids on the phone." Sam said into the phone to Khandi.

//Conway Residence//

Khandi handed the phone to Rachel. "Hello."

"Hiya, honey." Mashburn said.

"Dad, what's happening? They won't tell us anything."

"Well... I made a mistake, sweetheart. I made a... a big mistake."

"What did you do?" Rachel asked.

"That's... that's not important. Honey, what... what is important... is that you know... that I love you... no matter what happens."

"Dad, you're really scaring me."

"Don't be scared, honey. Honey... Rachel?"

"Yeah."

"Honey, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Rachel asked.

"I'm sorry that I'm not stronger. I should have been stronger for you and Patrick. You don't have to say anything, honey. I just... I just... I wanted you to know that. Hey, is Patrick there?"

"He's right here." Rachel held the phone out to Patrick. He didn't take it.

"I'm not talking to him. Tell him to go to hell." Patrick said stubbornly.

"Shut up, Patrick, and talk to him!"

"No!"

Through the phone, Mashburn heard the exchange. "I'm sorry, daddy. He doesn't want to talk to you."

"Okay. I understand. Um... um... just tell him that I love him, and that, uh... and that I'm sorry."

"Okay. Okay."

"Um, I got to go now, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too." Rachel cried and hung up the phone.

//Bookstore//

The phone disconnected on Mashburn's side. He turned around and sighed. "Well, you kept your end of the deal... so..." He looked at Libby. "...go ahead."

Libby stood up and ran to the door. She opened the door, stopped and turned around. "I'm really sorry about your wife." Libby said and left the bookstore.

"See, I told you. I'm a man of my word." Mashburn said.

Alone in the bookstore with Mashburn, Sam got to his feet. "Thank you."

Now, it was just the two of them.

//Movie House//

Jim crossed off #2. Libby's name. He capped the pen and put it down. There was only one name left on the hostage list: #3. Sam Gerard.

//Bookstore//

Mashburn uncapped a bottled water and drank. Sam sat on the floor and rolled up his shirt sleeves. "What's going on, Barry? What are you thinking?"

Mashburn shook his head. "Nothing."

"Come on. It's just you and me. Talk to me."

"Of all the things that happened... you know what consumes me the most?"

"What?"

"The last time I saw my wife."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

Mashburn laughed softly. "Nothing. It was nothing special at all. It was just a... I don't know. I don't know. I... I was... I was asleep. I didn't know what I had... until it was gone."

"I know that feeling. Walking around like you're asleep."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well, you know, outside of this, I got a normal life. I have a girlfriend I love more than anything."

"You got kids?"

"No. No kids." Sam said.

"What's your girlfriend's name?"

"Casandra." Silence lingered between the two men. "Barry, do you think that killing yourself was going to make you heroic? Leaving your kids without a father, you think that would be noble?" Sam asked.

"What the hell you talking about?"

"The van, the gas... I know what happened was horrible. It was inexplicable, but you know what? You pick yourself up and you move on."

"Move on? You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Look at you. You're standing still. Y... y... y... you're... you're treading water!"

"And look at you! You know what you're good at? You're good at feeling sorry for yourself. That's what you're good at. What about your wife?" Mashburn shook his head and turned away. Sam pushed forward. "She had friends. She had children. She had a mother. What about them? But no, you make this about you. It's about your pain. You can't see anything else. Just about you, isn't it? Well, you know what? No matter how angry you get, she isn't coming back."

"Shut up, Sam."

"She's dead!"

"Shut up!"

"She is gone!"

"Shut up!"

"She's not coming back!"

"Shut up!"

"You got to move on!"

"Shut up!" Mashburn whirled around and pointed the gun at Sam's forehead. Sam closed his eyes. "I got nothing to lose, Sam. You want to keep talking? Right?" Mashburn pulled the hammer back, cocking the gun and letting it rest pointed at the middle of Sam's forehead. "How about that? You feeling something now?"

After a moment, Mashburn pulled the gun away and stepped away. Sam remained unmoving. He finally opened his eyes and saw that Mashburn wasn't there anymore. He took a quivering breath.

//Street//

Sirens sounded and cop cars pulled up around the white van. Officers checked the van out. Cosmo ran to the window and looked inside. "Is this Barry's van? Pop the son of a bitch. Mike, let's go." Cosmo said and headed for the back of the van. Another police car pulled up behind the van. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Cosmo pulled out his gun. Mike put a hand on the door. "On three. One, two, three." Mike pulled the door open and Cosmo pointed the gun inside. The van was empty except for blankets and clothes strewn in the back. "She's not here."

//Bookstore//

"Well... guess I'm not going to get my helicopter. Am I?" Mashburn asked. He turned to glance over at Sam, who rested on the light tan chair with his head tilted back.

Sam lifted his head. "No, I guess not." he said wryly. Mashburn sighed. "You hungry?"

"Whatever."

"What do you say I get some food sent in?" Sam asked. Mashburn looked over at Sam. He made a grand swinging motion with his gun hand toward the phone.

//Movie House//

Jim was on the phone. McKeen stood next to him. "I'll take care of it." Jim said into the phone and then hung up and looked at McKeen. "Sam wants us to send in a pizza."

//Bookstore//

Sam stood near the counter and picked at the pizza in his hand. "Pretty hot in here, isn't it?" Mashburn asked. Sam didn't say anything. He just looked at him. "Tried to sweat me out, didn't you? Guess you didn't figure that you'd end up being in here."

"No, not exactly."

"So, Sam. What do you think?" Mashburn held the gun out in front of him. "You get a second chance?"

"You going to give me one? What about you? You going to give yourself a second chance?"

"Oh, come on. We both know that I'm going to jail for the rest of my life."

"Not if you tell me where Sydney is." Sam turned around and put his pizza down on the counter. "Listen, Barry. You're suffering from extreme trauma. This is just... This is just fallout. Any jury listening to this will understand."

Mashburn laughed dryly. "I don't, I don't think so, Sam, I don't think so."

"What did you expect from Sydney?"

"I expected her to help."

"She did. She did, she got you a job. They fired you because you assaulted the manager. She stopped them from sending you to jail."

"Oh, come on. I don't believe that for a second."

Sam pulled the check out of his pocket and tossed it at Mashburn. It landed on the floor in front of him. "Take a look at that. Open it up. That's a check for almost $10,000 that she stole from her own company to help you. She tried over and over to help you. What did you want her to do? Curl up into a ball and die because she wasn't there?"

"Natalie shouldn't have been there."

"Nobody should have been there." Sam said. Mashburn looked at the check and started to cry. He dropped the check to the floor and covered his eyes with his hands. "$687,000... The value of a human life." Eyes closed, sobbed and slowly pointed the barrel of the gun at this own temple. "That's what they told you at the insurance company, isn't it? It's not about the money, though, is it? It's never been about the money." Mashburn shook his head. "You just didn't want to sign that document and say goodbye. This has nothing to do with Sydney. You can let her go now." Mashburn took a deep breath and exhaled. "Just let her go." Mashburn moved the gun away from his head. "Tell me where she is."

"She's in my storage area. It's, uh... the Bowry and Fletcher."

Sam didn't move. "Thank you." Mashburn took a shuddering breath. Sam took a step forward and reached for Mashburn's gun. "Why don't you just give me that? Okay?" Sam took the gun. "I think maybe we should go outside."

Mashburn slowly got to his feet. He held out his arms away from his body. Sam put a hand on his upper arm. Sam checked Mashburn and removed the second gun tucked inside his pants waistband under his shirt. "Okay, you ready?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

Both men started walking toward the front door. Mashburn was in front and unarmed. Sam followed from behind, both guns in his hands.

//Outside//

The door opened and both men walked out. "Put your hands, where they can see them, okay? Nice and slow, nice and slow. Don't make any sudden moves." Sam instructed.

McKeen and Jim both looked through the window and saw Sam and Mashburn walk out of the bookstore.

Sam and Mashburn stopped walking. Sam continued to instruct him. "Okay, you're going to have to get down on the ground now." Mashburn slowly got to his knees on the sidewalk. Sam walked around him and turned around to face him. He continued to walk backward onto the street as the SWAT team moved in.

The members of the SWAT team converged on Mashburn who remained on his knees on the sidewalk with his hands opened and held high. Mashburn was handcuffed and Sam turned around and headed across the street. It was finally over.

//Conway Residence//

Khandi was on the phone. Georgia stood next to her as Khandi spoke. Khandi put the phone on her shoulder as she turned to Georgia to talk with her. Georgia smiled in relief.

//Bookstore//

CSI was inside the bookstore. Sam walked across the main floor.

//Storage Facility//

Cosmo and another officer hurriedly walked through the hallway to Mashburn's storage unit. Cosmo had his gun drawn while the other officer held a large bolt cutter. He cut the padlock off of the door. Inside the storage unit, the door burst open and Cosmo walked inside. A flashlight shone upon Sydney, tied up and mouth taped. "Are you okay?!" Cosmo asked.

The other officer rushed forward and removed the tape from Sydney's mouth. She smiled at him. He put his arms around her and hugged her.

//Bookstore//

Sam knelt down and picked up something about the size of a wallet. He looked over and saw something else across the floor. He reached out and picked it up. It was Casandra's badge. He stood up.

//Storage Facility//

Wrapped in a blanket, Cosmo escorted Sydney out of the storage unit.

//Bookstore//

Sam opened the badge up and looked at Casandra's ID, his face inscrutable. Whatever his thoughts, he stared at the ID for a moment, nodded his head, closed the badge and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

//Street//

Jim walked down the empty street. He was in his same clothes as the night before, shirt untucked and disheveled. Though tired from the long night, he walked with determination and a single-minded purpose toward the house.

//The Cavalry's House//

Jim walked into Little Jimmy's bedroom. He reached down and put the blanket over Jimmy's sleeping form. He reached down and touched his head.

He left the room and went down to Sammy's. He watched him sleeping for awhile and then made his way to Katie's room. He kissed her forehead as she slept. Then he straightened up.

Jim walked down the hallway to his own room and opened the door. He draped his jacket over a chair and then stripped and climbed into bed next to Khandi. She stirred a little and Jim wrapped his arms around her and pulled her toward him. In no time he was in a deep sleep.

**TBC...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Sam walked into the house, when he knew that everyone would be asleep. He slowly started to make his way to his bedroom. The door was closed and the house was dark, as it would be every night. Sighing he reached out for the door handle. But he knew there was no chance of him getting any sleep that night.

Khandi walked up to Sam. "Finally getting home?" she asked.

Sam sighed. "Yeah."

Her expression was soft. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Sam replied a little confused.

She placed her hand on the door handle in attempts to stop him from entering the bedroom. "Why aren't you at the hospital?"

"I don't want to see her lying there like Jimmy was when he got shot. God, Khan, I don't know how you ever handled that." Sam said.

Khandi looked at him. "I handled it because I love him. And he will never really fully admit it, but he needed me there."

Sam sighed. "I don't think I can handle it."

She watched him for a second. "Okay. But how is _she_ handling it?"

Sam stared at Khandi and for a moment didn't say anything. "You're right. I should be there for her."

Khandi smiled. "Good boy. Now, shoo off to the hosptial."

Sam smiled back at her. "I'll see you later." he said as he headed back out the door.

//Desert Palm//

Casandra was just starting to come around. She slightly moaned as she shook her head and tried to sit up. It was as if her head was under pressure. Everything was a total train wreck. She had no idea where she was, let alone she didn't even know at this point who she was.

Sam knocked on the door and then entered. He walked over to the bed and looked down at Casandra. "Hey, how you doing?" he asked.

She gave him a confused look. "Hi…" she started, "Who are you?"

"Very funny, Casandra, you know who I am. Now stop screwing around." Sam said.

She took a deep breath. "No. Seriously… who are you?" She was now even more confused.

Sam stared at her. "You know who I am. I'm Sam." he stated getting slightly annoyed.

"Sam…" She started to think, now she was getting worried. "Sam – I—I." She was trying to figure out how to word it. She felt as if she knew who he was, she felt as if she some how trusted him beyond words and loved him, yet she didn't know who he was.

Sam sat down in the chair beside her bed and took her hand. "Casandra, what the hell is going on with you?" he asked now getting worried.

She looked at him. "Casandra?" She asked frowning. "Is that… Is that my name?"

"Of course that's your name." Sam said frowning. Now he was wondering what happened in the ambulance between the bookstore and the hospital.

She closed her eyes. "So, I'm Casandra. And your Sam."

"That's right. What the hell is going on? You were fine when I left you in the ambulance."

"What ambulance? Where am I?" She said starting to get a little scared. Now she had no idea what was going on. "Sam… What is going on here? How come I feel I know you?" She asked tears coming to her eyes. "Where are we? What's going on?"

Sam got up and sat on the hospital bed beside her. He pulled her into his arms as best he could and tried to comfort her. "Shhh, listen, everything's going to be okay. You were in a hostage situation and you got shot in the leg. Right now you're in the hospital but you're going to be okay."

She felt safe in his arms. Yet some how she didn't really know him. "How can I be okay, if I only know my name?"

Sam thought about that. She definitely had a point there. Physically she was going to be okay but Sam was sure about mentally. "Hey, don't worry, whatever the problem is we'll get through it together, okay?"

"Okay." She mumbled, still beyond confused.

"Okay. Right now, I'm gonna go talk to your doctor. But I'll be right back." Sam said standing up.

"Wait! Hostage situation?"

Sam looked down at her and sighed. "Yeah, we had to make a ransom drop and things got out of control and the kidnapper took everyone, including you, hostage in the bookstore."

"Okay, a ransom drop? Kidnapper?"

"A woman was kidnapped and her kidnapper wanted the ransom brought to the bookstore. You were inside to make sure everything went smoothly, but apparently we misjudged him."

She painfully sat straight up. "I was in there to make things go smoothly? What was I nuts?"

"No, it was your job." Sam explained. "You're a cop."

Some things sort of came back to her. She frowned and looked down at the floor. "Sam?"

"Yeah, what is it?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "I think… I'm not sure, but – I feel that – that you're some how connected to all this. I, I don't know how to explain it. God. But I feel that you and me have some kind of relationship."

Sam sat back down on the bed and looked at her. "Yes, we do. I love you more than anything and I'm gonna help you get through this."

She looked up at him. "Sam, that's one thing I do remember." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "And I do remember that I love you too. But this whole thing is scaring me. There is so much I feel that I should remember, but I don't."

Sam pulled her in his arms again and kissed the top her head. "Shhh, it's okay, honey. As long as you remember that we love each other that's all that matters right now. We can work on the rest later."

Just then the door opened with a knock. And low and behold it was Cosmo. "Hey, how's the hero?"

Sam looked up at the door. "You always have such impeccable timing, Cosmo." Sam stated.

"That's was in my job description, wasn't it?" Cosmo asked as he walked up to the bed. "So how is our hero?"

"She's going to be fine, Cosmo." Sam said and looked at his watch. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Casandra looked back at Sam than Cosmo, keeping her mouth shut, wondering whom the nut person Cosmo was.

"Since when did I have a bed time, Dad?" Cosmo asked.

"Since you started interrupting at the most inappropriate moments." Sam replied.

Cosmo looked at Sam. "I just came to check on the sister-in-law. Is that such a problem? And you two have your own bedroom at home. It's not like I walk in there."

"I wouldn't put it past you, Cosmo, didn't you used to walk in on Stacey in the shower?" Sam asked.

Cosmo looked at Sam. "Wasn't it you who was hitting on Nana Mary?"

"I was not hitting on her!" Sam snapped.

"You were so." Cosmo smirked.

Casandra was now convinced that Cosmo was just pain nuts.

"And that's why you asked to stop at the old folks home the other day." Cosmo smirked.

Casandra looked at Sam then Cosmo. Just what type of group of people was she supposed to be associated with?

Sam stood up. "Cosmo, shut the fuck up." he said.

Casandra looked at Cosmo. "Who the fuck are you? And what color is the sky in your world?"

"Well, right now the sky is black. And come on you know who I am." Cosmo said.

Casandra looked at him. "No I don't. I don't know anyone but Sam here. And I hardly remember anything about him. Now tell me who the fuck you are or get out."

"Hey, calm down before you blow a gasket. I'm Cosmo, your brother-in-law." he said and looked at Sam. "What's going on here?"

"We're not exactly sure yet." Sam answered.

Casandra sighed. "Sorry. I just didn't know who you were."

Cosmo looked between Sam and Casandra and then shook his head. "Man, this is weird. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone."

"And you know the rest of the story." Casandra commented.

"I think I should talk to the doctor now." Sam said and made his way to the door again.

"So, Cosmo. You say you're my brother-in-law. Tell me more." Casandra said than followed it by a yawn.

Cosmo sat down in the chair beside the bed and looked at Casandra. "You sure you really want to know?" he asked.

"Everything. I hardly know anything, well, remember."

Cosmo sighed. "Well, you came to Vegas about four and a half months ago and things did not start out on the best of circumstances. You see, Jimmy, that's your other brother-in-law had just been shot and he was in the hospital when you transferred in. Khandi, that's Jimmy's wife and your sister, thought you were here to take his job. But we got everything sorted out and then you started dating Sam and eventually moved in with all of us."

Casandra though for a second, nothing was really ringing a bell. "So I came to Vegas? Las Vegas? And my own sister's husband was shot? What? We all live in the same house?"

"Yeah, all eleven of us under one big disfunctional roof." Cosmo said and smirked.

"Seems, so. How is it eleven though?"

Cosmo sighed again. "Well, there's you and Sam. Me, my wife Stacey and your sister as well, our two kids Noah and Zoey and then there's Jimmy and Khandi and they have three kids, Little Jimmy, Sammy and Katie." Cosmo said and thought about it for a minute. "Yeah, that makes eleven."

She counted in her head. "So, does that mean, that, everyone in the house except me and Sam are married and with kids?"

//Outside the Hospital Room//

"Can I help you?" Doctor James asked. She was Casandra's doctor.

"I'm Sam Gerard. I was wondering if you could give me some information on Casandra's condition?" he asked.

"Well, she should be awake, by now. The operation went smoothly despite the drastic amount of blood loss. There is a slight chance of some complications. Why, is something wrong, Mr. Gerard?"

"I'll say there's something wrong. She can't remember anything. I want to know why." Sam demanded.

Doctor James thought for a second. "I wasn't expecting this. But I do have an explanation."

"Good. I'd really like to hear what it is." Sam said.

She smiled. "It's very simple. In a tramatic situation that she has been through and the amount of blood loss – she is suffering from temporary amnesia."

"Temporary? So, that means that her memory will come back?"

She tired to enlighten the situation. "As much as I would gladly like to guarantee that. I can't. There is no certainties in this field of work, Mr. Gerard. I would love to say that Ms. Riggs will get her memory back."

"So, there's a possibility that she'll never fully recover?" Sam asked trying with every fibre of his being not to haul off and slug this woman.

"Yes. Unfortunately, that is a chance." She said still slightly smiling.

"Great, thanks for all your help." Sam said sarcastically and stormed off down the hall before he wiped that smiled permanently off her face.

"Your welcome." She said to his retreating form.

//Casandra's Hospital Room//

"So you mean, when you first met my sister, you ended up getting blown up twice that day?" Casandra asked, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm lucky I'm still here. If it wasn't for Khandi that second time, I sure as hell wouldn't be." Cosmo replied.

Casandra looked down at the blanket. "I'll take your word on that."

Just then the door opened and Sam came back into the room. "Well, your doctor was absolutely no help at all." he said.

Cosmo looked at Sam. "No help? Then what's wrong with her?"

"According to the doctor she has temporary amnesia. She said there's no certainty on when her memory will return." Sam sighed.

"Hello, I'm still here you know." Casandra said sitting up more, but flinched when she moved her leg. "So I have amnesia. I'm just plain fucked."

"Honey, she said it was temporary which means it will eventually come back but we just don't know when. It could be tomorrow, next week or even a year from now. There's no telling when."

"Or the day I die. We'll never know. I have to relearn everything about who I am, what I did. It's just so fucked up!" She said looking at them seriously.

Sam thought about that. There were some things in her life that she was better off not remembering but then she did have a right to know everything. "And we'll help you in any way we can." Sam said.

"This just isn't fair. I mean why must shit like this happen?" She asked. "I feel like this shit always happens."

"You got that right." Cosmo said.

Sam sat down on the bed beside her. "I know it isn't fair but then life isn't fair. If it was..." Sam cut himself off.

"If it was?" She repeated trying to get him to finish his sentence.

Sam looked at her and shook his head. "I don't know. I just hate everything that's happened that's all."

Her eyes went a little wide. "Everything that has happened? Okay what has happened other then this? Tell me."

"What hasn't happened." Cosmo replied.

She took a breath. "Okay. Enough. I want my memories back."

Just then the door opened and Casandra's doctor walked in. She walked over to the bed. "How are you feeling?" Doctor James asked.

"Oh, annoyed, frustrated, confused, mad, crazy, fucked up. Like I need a straight jacket. Other than that fine. How about you?" Casandra asked.

Doctor James looked at the chart. "Well, that's to be expected in your condition." she said.

"Condition? What do I need, padded walls?"

"No, I wouldn't say that. Your amnesia is only temporary and the blood loss that you experienced had no effect on your pregnancy. The baby's just fine."

Casandra, Cosmo and Sam all looked at the Doctor. "Baby?" Sam and Casandra asked in unison.

"Yes. You're about a month along now. I take it this was unexpected?" Doctor James asked.

"Doctor, I have no memory. How am I supposed to remember if I was pregnant?" Casandra asked.

"I understand. But you are. I'll be back later to check on you." Doctor James said and left the room.

"Lovely fucking doctor. Let me at her." Casandra said in frustration.

Cosmo looked at Casandra. "Alright, Holyfield, put the gloves down."

"Just how much don't I remember? I mean, I didn't even remember I am pregnant?" Casandra said as she sighed heavily.

"So, there's a possibility that you knew about this pregnancy before all of this happened?" Sam asked.

"I, I don't know. It feels familiar, but that could mean anything. It's like I have been through a pregnancy before."

Sam felt a pain stab at him and his chest tightened. He didn't want to tell her but he knew she had to know. "Hey, Cosmo, can you give us minute alone?" Sam asked.

"Sure. I'm gonna go get a cup of coffee." he said and left the room.

Sam sat down on the bed and looked at Casandra. "There's a reason for those feelings. You have been through a pregnancy before. You had a little girl." Sam explained.

"I what? I had a girl. My daughter. Where is she than?" Casandra asked worried.

Sam looked at her and tears formed in his eyes. This was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. She had already lost her daughter once and now she had to lose her all over again. "She died about six months ago." Sam said with a shaky breath.

Some things started to come back to her. It all came back up to the point of the death of her daughter Mackenzie and her husband Jack. It was all back except the memories that started in Vegas. "Mackenzie and Jack died because of me."

Sam pulled her into a hug. He was surprised that she remembered. "No. It wasn't your fault. You had no control over what happened."

"No, it was. If I got there in time, none of this would have happened."

Sam didn't want to get into the same argument they had when they first met so he just held her. "It's going to be okay, honey."

She sighed. She really didn't want to get into it anymore then what had already been mentioned. She just wanted to get away from the hospital and that too chipper Doctor of hers. Yet with all that she started to feel a little tired, but she wasn't going to let Sam know that.

Sam looked down at her and noticed her eyes had closed but then opened again. "Hey, I think you should get some sleep." he said standing up from the bed.

"No, no. It's okay. I'm fine. I was just thinking. Trying to remember."

"Honey, you're gonna wear yourself out. Get some sleep."

"I'm fine, Sammy."

Sam sighed and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "Alright, if you're sure."

"It's just strange you know." She said looking at him. "that I can only remember half of my life. I mean I remember things from when I was six years old. But I can't seem to remember anything after Jack and Mackenzie's murder."

"I don't know why that is. I'm not exactly an expert on amnesia." Sam said.

"I just feel that it's my fault, that I can't remember anything else. It's like someone pressed pause on my past."

Sam didn't know what to say. He had never been through anything like this before and right now he was praying that Casandra didn't have to either.

She looked at him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you. It's not your fault."

"It's okay, really. I understand that you're frustrated."

"Yeah. I guess, that's it."

Sam sat back in the chair and looked at her. He wished he could make all of this go away but he knew it wasn't possible and he felt helpless.

"Hey, don't blame yourself. None of this is your fault." Casandra said trying to smile somehow she knew that when he was silent, he was blaming himself.

"Somehow it is my fault. If I was better at my job than you never would have gotten shot." Sam stated.

She shook her head. "No, no, no. If you didn't do your job, then I would be on some cold slab on my back dead wanting to kick your ass."

Sam smiled. "I appreciate your faith in me."

**TBC...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Cosmo knocked on the door and entered. He saw Casandra sitting on her bed with a tray of food in front of her. "How's the food?" Cosmo asked.

"No one could eat this crud." Casandra frowned and pushed the plate away.

Cosmo looked at her. "Hey, if you don't eat your crud, you're not gonna get any crap for dessert."

"Yes, mother. How about you eat my crud and the crap for desert." she said.

"If you got corn I'm in." Cosmo said looking at the plate.

She looked at him. Some things were slowly coming back. "Cosmo, you will eat anything that has corn in it."

"Not exactly anything. But since there's no corn I don't want it." he said pushing the back toward her.

She pushed it back towards him. "No, I don't want it."

He pushed it back towards her. "Well, I don't want it."

Casandra took a hand full of potatoes and threw it at him. "Here, eat it."

Cosmo ducked and only caught a little of the potatoes on the shoulder. He looked at her and picked up the rest of the potatoes on the plate and threw it at her. Soon there was a food fight going on in the room.

Sam stood up from the chair and got in the middle of them. "Come on, knock it off!" he yelled as Casandra threw more mashed potatoes at Cosmo and got Sam right in the side of the head.

Her mouth dropped open and she turned beat red. Cosmo burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard that he ended up sitting on the floor. Casandra couldn't help but start to laugh at the scene, before her.

Sam wiped the mashed potatoes off the side of his head and looked at Cosmo and Casandra. "I'm glad you two think this so funny." Just then he picked up the plate and threw it at Cosmo. The rest of the food hit him in the face and ran down his shirt.

Cosmo looked down at his shirt. "Hey, there is corn in this after all." he said looking up from his spot on the floor.

"God, is there anything you don't think about other than corn?" Casandra asked, rolling her eyes.

Cosmo looked at her. "Hey you should know me by now."

She looked back at him. "Would I be lying here if I did? I don't remember that much. If not anything from when I got here to Vegas."

"Wait, you remember your past all the way till you got here?"

"Open your ears, Cosmo, that's exactly what she's saying." Sam replied.

"Knock knock." Khandi's voice came from the door. "Are we intruding?"

Casandra looked at her confused, but put two and two together and gathered that she must have known this person or that this person was part of the Cavalry. "Uh, not at all..."

Khandi smiled. "I see you've been putting up with Cosmo, how are you feeling?"

Casandra looked at Sam, than back at Khandi. Casandra couldn't figure it out. She knew this woman, cared for this woman, but had no idea who she was. However that was becoming a common feeling. "Not bad, not good. Don't take this the wrong way but..." Khandi looked at her. "Who are you?"

"Huh? Wha..." Was all Khandi got to say before Sam jumped in.

Sam looked at Casanda with softness. "She is your sister Khandi."

Khandi walked up to the foot of be bed. "Just what happened? How come you can't remember me?"

"Having no memories can do that to a person." Cosmo mumbled sitting in the chair at the foot of the bed.

"And how come you haven't been home that much, Mister?" Stacey asked standing at the door way.

Cosmo stood up. "Cause I have been here trying to help Cas get her memories back."

"What? Cas has no memories?" Jim asked, standing next to his sister-in-law Stacey.

"Aunty Casa!!!" Little Jimmy said running between everyone towards the bed. Sam stopped him. "What are you doing this for Uncle Sammy?"

"'Cause she's hurt buddy." Sam said looking at Casandra.

Casandra felt like she was dropped on some strange planet, and that her people would be coming by in a space ship really soon to pick her up. However she knew that wasn't true and that she was either going to get her memories back soon, or she was going to have to face it and relive everything from Vegas on. Which wasn't something she wanted to do.

"Aunty Casa doesn't look hurt." Little Jimmy stated.

Cosmo looked around. "Where are the rest of the brats?"

"At home, honey." Stacey answered.

"Than who's looking after them?" Khandi couldn't help but ask.

Jim smiled. "Nick, Cath and Gil."

"Enough people?" Sam asked.

Cosmo shook his head. "No, poor people."

//The Cavalry's House//

Jim and Khandi, along with Stacey, had taken Little Jimmy with them to the hospital and now Grissom, Catherine and Nick were alone with the four youngest Cavalry kids. The minute Jim, Khandi and Stacey left the house all hell broke loose.

This was the precise moment that Katie made sure that the three criminalists knew she was there when she began to wail at the top of her lungs. Catherine walked over to the play pen and picked her up but that didn't seem to satisfy the little girl. Just then her little cousin Zoey joined in and began wailing.

Grissom picked Zoey up and now he and Catherine were holding two screaming little girls who didn't seem to want to stop.

Sammy and Noah were watching their sisters scream and decided to take the opportunity to wreak some havoc of their own. They took off out of the room but Catherine had seen them run off. She turned to Nick, who was standing in the room dumbfounded at what had occured in a matter of seconds. "Uh, Nick, can you go follow the boys? Gil and I seem to have our hands full at the moment."

Nick snapped out of his stupor, nodded at Catherine and took off out of the room. He made his way to the kitchen when he heard the clanging of pots and pans. He found Noah underneath the cupboard and Sammy was standing on a chair trying to reach a ladel on the counter. The pots and pans were scattered all over the floor.

"Whoa, little guy, come on you can't be up there." Nick said and took Sammy off the chair.

"I wanna swoon!" Sammy whined.

"Now, come on guys. Let's put all the pots back under the cupboard." Nick said, taking Noah out.

"NO! I wanna bang!" Sammy yelled.

"Yeah, bang!" Noah said joining in.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Sammy and Noah chanted.

Catherine and Grissom appeared in the kitchen door, with the girls still screaming, and looked across the kitchen at Nick. Nick noticed them standing there and gave them a terrified look. "Do you think this qualifies as a reason to call in the SWAT team?" he asked.

As Nick was putting the pots and pans back underneath the cupboard the boys took off out of the kitchen. Catherine and Grissom had taken the girls to the nursery to check their diapers and when Nick turned around he found himself alone in the kitchen.

As he was making his way to the living room he heard the toilet flush. "Oh, God, please tell me Griss or Cath had to use the bathroom." he said and made his way down the hall. When he got to the bathroom he noticed the door was closed. He knocked lightly. "Hey, Grissom? Catherine?"

"Yeah, Nicky." Catherine said as she and Grissom appeared behind him.

He spun around and saw them standing there with Katie and Zoey who were now happy that their diapers were changed. "Oh, great." Nick groaned and they heard the toilet flush again. He opened the door and they saw Sammy and Noah standing by the toilet looking into the bowl.

The boys looked up at Nick and had big grins on their faces. "Keys go bye bye." Sammy said and waved to the bowl.

Nick ran over to the toilet and looked into the bowl. All he saw was the water rising back into the bowl and nothing else. He turned back around and looked at Catherine and Grissom, who were now laughing at him. "He flushed my keys!"

"Well, you should be keeping a better eye on them, Nick." Grissom laughed.

"Oh, I'm glad you think this is funny. Who made these arrangements anyway? You two get the babies and I get Damien and Lucifer." Nick complained.

As they were talking the boys had made yet another escape. "Uh, Nick, you may want to pay better attention. They're gone again." Catherine said, continuing to laugh.

"Man!" Nick whined and took off out of the bathroom.

Catherine smiled at Grissom and they followed Nick down the hallway. They found him in the kitchen covered in flour. "What the hell happened?" Grissom asked.

"They had the bag of flour out when I got here and decided to throw it at me." Nick said and looked down at himself. His black t-shirt was now white.

//Desert Palm Hospital - Casandra's Room//

Casandra kept her mouth shut. Was she really living with these people? Were they really part of her family?

Stacey looked at Casandra and walked further into the room. "Hey, what's with you? You're extremely quiet."

"Uh... well... you see..." Casandra started and sighed. "Okay, who the fuck is everyone? And why are you all in my room?"

Jim and Stacey were taken aback. Little Jimmy on the other hand was too young to understand. "Aunty Casa, don't swear."

"Huh? Aunty?" Casandra asked with a confused look.

Little Jimmy laughed. "Aww, of course your my aunty silly." he said as he crawled up on the bed and sat cross legged smiling at her.

Cosmo looked at his family. "She has amnesia. Right now she only remembers everything up until Vegas."

Jim shook his head. "Than we're going to have to help her get her memories back."

"First thing we're going to do, is when she gets out of here... is take her back home." Stacey smiled.

Cosmo looked at her. "Where else would we take her? To a grave site?"

"You were the one who called yourself the Grim Reaper." Jim commented.

"I'm never going to live that down am I?" Cosmo asked.

Khandi jumped in. "No, along with... when are you getting new glasses?"

Sam sighed and looked at Casandra. His heart pulled when he saw just how lost she was. He hated to see her like this. It was as if it wasn't even her he was looking at. He missed her sense of humor, the way her and Cosmo picked on each other, and the way she would have jumped in on that conversation in a heart beat, with some smart ass comment.

However Casandra was looking at them like they were from the Twilight Zone. Yet, some how it seemed all familar. Like she normally would be involved in it. Though she couldn't bring herself to get involved, because she was honestly scared. Not only because she could not remember these people, but because she felt that she should remember these people.

"New glasses? Maybe I like these and I don't wanna change them." Cosmo fired back.

Jim laughed. "New glasses is not a choice. You need them."

"I don't need anything."

"Okay, enough. Please." Casandra said softly.  
Everyone stopped at the sound of her voice. More yet, they were all surprised at how soft it seemed. They all turned and looked at her, expecting to see someone fragile. And what made them worry was the fact that she seemed so fragile, the total opposite of their family member and co-worker. It shocked them all. When they came into that room it never really sunk in that she was suffering so much from amnesia. It all made them take a mental step back and look at the situation. Their family member was sitting in that hospital bed, totally unware that her family was there, and the memories that they share.

Khandi was getting frustrated at the fact, she felt that she should go out there and seek revenge on Barry Mashburn, and the other idiot. However she knew that she wasn't going to take action, for the fact that it was just circumstances that caused this to happen. She knew that she was totally capable of doing it so, but she was going to hold herself. For everyones sake.

Stacey couldn't believe it. She was kinda scared to ask herself what was going to be next. It seems like Cosmo is always getting blown up, Jim is getting hurt one way or another, Khandi as well, Sam mentally kicking himself and such, and Casandra now has lost her memories. Stacey wondered why her family was always in some kind of danger or was hurt. She was in a building that blew up, their house was burnt down by the mafia, what was next?

Cosmo sat back and looked at the situation. He actually felt bad for Sam, he knew what he went threw and now he knew how much this hurt him and was pulling on Sam's heart strings. And no, Cosmo was not stupid, he could tell just how scared Casandra was about this all. Furthermore, he did not envy any of it, he wouldn't want to put himself in their shoes.

Jim was on the same wave length as Cosmo. However he knew that he would help Casandra in anyway he could to help her get her memories back. It is what family does. He would do anything for his family and would do anything to help his family. Jim was a family man, and his family came first. Even if he did have a bigger family than most.

A familiar nurse walked in. "You guys again? Why am I not surprised?" she asked holding a clip board walking up to the bed. "What happened this time? Car exploding? Running gun battle? Mafia?"

Khandi shook her head. "Another hostage situation."

"Go figure. And you guys played hero. You know, I think we should start giving you guys free room and board. I mean you're here almost twice a week for something." She said smiling looking down at Casandra's clip board. "Ah, lovely little update on here. Temp amnesia. Now that should be interesting."

"What do you mean by that?" Stacey asked, worried.

"Well, it will surprise ya what can trigger the memories to surface."

Sam looked at her. "Is it that simple?"

"No, it's not."

Khandi stepped in. "Than what are you saying can trigger it?"

"Something as simple as a smell, or a sequence of events."

"Oh great. This sounds like a game show." Cosmo commented.

"And pick your smell?" Khandi commented. "Tell her what she's won Johnny!"

"When can I leave?" Casandra asked.

The nurse smiled. "You just came out of a hostage situation... which by the way I am adding to the lovely list here. So I could say, since you've been here three days, and you seem to be recovering good. In about four to five hours. Long as you stay with these lovely bunch of people, you should be fine."

"But I don't remember these people!" Casandra said sitting straight up.

The nurse strugged. "But you do. Just try, okay?" She said walking out, of the room.

"But I don't. How can you send me off with these people. They need padded walls for heaven sake!" Casandra said.

Little Jimmy crossed his arms and tried to look like his dad, when he was serious. "Aunty Casa, you do know us. Now you're coming home with us. We are gonna help you."

Stacey laughed. "I think the little guy just told ya."

//The Cavalry's House//

Casandra was released from the hospital and nervous about going back to a house that she had no memory living in. Sam parked the car in the driveway, behind Jim's Charger that had pulled in ahead of him, and cut the engine. He got out and helped Casandra out of the car.

She slowly got out and looked nervously around. "Come on, honey, it's okay." Sam said gently and guided her toward the house.

The rest of the Cavalry was already inside and waiting for them. Sam and Casandra entered the house and she slowly walked into the living room. Everyone was there, including the five kids.

This was becoming too overwhelming for her and she began to feel dizzy. Sam took her arm and held her close to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I just got a little light headed that's all." Casandra replied.

"Maybe you should get some rest." Jim suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Sam said. "Come on, I'll show you where your room is."

"Thank you." Casandra said.

Sam escorted Casandra down the long hallway and then opened the door to their room. He helped her get comfortable in the bed and then kissed her forehead. "I'll be right out here if you need anything, okay?"

"Thank you, Sam."

Sam nodded, shut off the light and closed the door.

//A Few Hours Later//

Casandra woke with a start. She was sweating and the pain in her leg was almost unbearable. She slowly sat up in the bed and turned on the bedside lamp. She had just had a terrible nightmare: It started off pleasantly enough. She was with Sam. But then she found herself lying on a floor bleeding. She could feel the life draining out of her and it terrified her. That's when she woke up.

She slowly got out of bed and made her way out to the living room. Khandi, Jim and Sam were there, along with Little Jimmy and Sammy. Sam stood up when he saw her. "How are you feeling?" he asked helping her sit down on the couch.

"My leg is killing me." she said and winced as she sat down.

"I'll go get you something." he said and went into the bathroom.

Little Jimmy was sitting on the floor playing with his brother when he got up and walked over to Casandra. "You remember now, Aunty Casa?" Little Jimmy asked.

She shook her head. "No, I don't."

Little Jimmy had something in his hand and he held it out to Casandra. "This is yours, Aunty Casa."

Casandra took the item and looked down at it. It was her badge. Little Jimmy had been playing with it. She held it and suddenly it triggered something in her brain. She remembered coming to Vegas. She remembered all the turmoil of when she first arrived. But most of all she remembered being in love with Sam. Yet, something was still missing. Tears formed in her eyes and she looked down at Little Jimmy. "Thank you, Little Trooper." Casandra said.

Jim and Khandi stared at Casandra in disbelief. That was something only she called Little Jimmy. Was she finally getting her memories back? "Cas, are you okay?" Khandi asked.

Casandra looked from Little Jimmy to Jim and Khandi. "I remember. I remember coming to Vegas, I remember everything, I think." Casandra said as Sam came back into the room.

"You remember everything?" Sam asked.

Casandra looked at Sam and smiled. "Yes... I think."

//Outside on patio//

Casandra was holding a cup of coffee as well as leaning on the railing. She was watching the sun set. Everything seemed peaceful, however the dream was still bugging her. And on top of it, she couldn't remember fully why she was in the hosptial, and how she got shot. It was eating away at her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could still see the blood, and remember the feeling of the life draining out of her.

She jumped when she heard the sliding glass door opening. "You okay?" Cosmo asked.

"Yeah, I guess." She answered turning back towards the railing.

Cosmo shook his head. "Ah, liar. C'mon, something is still bugging you."

"I guess so..."

"Do you really remember everything?" Cosmo asked as he walked over to the railing and leaned his back on it.

Casandra shook her head. "There is still something missing."

"What do you mean Cassy?"

She took a deep breath. "I still don't remember all how it happened. How I ended up in the hospital, how I was shot. And on top of it, I had this bad dream, where I felt the life draining out of me, and I was shot."

Cosmo looked at her, slightly worried. "You want me to tell you?" Casandra nodded. "You scared the shit out of us, in that hostage taking. I don't know really how it happened. All I can tell you is what Sammy and Jimmy told me. I saw something in Sammy that doesn't even compare when Noah was murdered. It was true fear in his eyes, along with everyone else. It was like Jimmy was shot all over again. Truthfully from what I know, Sammy took a huge chance out there in the field for you. He went up to the building and offered himself in exchange for you. You were in the hostage taking, you were the one hurt in it all trying to save the rest, and Sammy gave himself up to get you out of there. Jimmy told me that he carried you out to the bench to get you to the bus."

Tears filled Casandra's eyes. "He did that?"

"We all would have. I can tell you Cassy, that I wouldn't have thought twice."

"Cos..."

"No seriously. And the thing of it is, we know you would do the same."

She took a deep breath, a shaky one at that. She didn't know what to think of it all. She remembered that she would do anything for this family, one that took her in at the end of the ordeal, one that has and always will stand by her.

"Everyone cares about you Cassy, and we know that you care about us. That's why we were all scared to death when we found out how much blood you lost, than to add to it you had amnesia. We knew that we would do anything to help you get it back. Than to hear you call Little Jimmy, Little Trooper again, I guess you could say was a huge ass relief."

Tears now were free falling from her eyes. "I... I remember again. I remember it all. And, when I heard Sammy's voice at that door, I didn't know what to think. I didn't want him there because I knew just how dangerous it was, I knew what he was about to put himself into, and I would have given anything to be able to stop that. I... I... just don't want anyone to get hurt here."

Cosmo pulled her into a hug. Glad to have her back, glad to know that he was once able to give her the answers she needed. "Glad to have you back." He said as she pulled away.

She looked at him, "Miss the torment?"

"Not so much the torment." Cosmo said smirking. "Just the tormenter."

Casandra smiled as Sam walked outside. "How are you doing?" Sam asked placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Much better. Cosmo helped me sort things out."

Sam raised his eyebrow and looked at Cosmo. "You actually helped someone?"

"Why are you so shocked, Sammy? I do happen to have that ability."

"Which you've managed to keep hidden until now." Sam smiled.

"Funny, Sam." Cosmo said and went back inside the house.

"Something I said?" Sam asked innocently.

"Come on, honey, stop picking on him." Casandra said and leaned her head against Sam's shoulder. "That's my job."

//Inside the House//

Cosmo was leaning against the kitchen counter drinking a beer, while Stacey was feeding the kids. Jim walked into the kitchen putting on his jacket. "Where you off to?" Cosmo asked.

"I have an appointment." Jim said grabbing his car keys off the hook on the wall.

"What appointment?" Khandi asked, walking up behind him.

"Nothing important, honey. I'll be back in an hour." he replied and kissed her before leaving the house.

Khandi looked at Cosmo and Stacey as Sam and Casandra came back inside. "I don't like this. Something's up with him." Khandi said.

"What's going on?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure yet. But I'm gonna find out." Khandi said and picked up the phone. She called Catherine's cell phone.

"Willows." Catherine answered.

"Cath, it's Khandi."

"Hey, Khan, what's up?"

"Jimmy, just left. He said he had an appointment. Do you know anything about it?"

"No. Why would I?" Catherine asked.

"Well, since you and Jimmy just wrapped a case together, I thought maybe he mentioned something to you."

"No, sorry, he didn't say anything." Khandi sighed. "Is everything okay?" Catherine asked concerned.

"I'm not sure."

Catherine didn't like the uneasiness in Khandi's voice. Neither did the rest of the Cavalry. "Hey, listen, if I see him, I'll try to find out what's going on, okay?" Catherine said trying to comfort her friend.

"Thanks, Cath, I appreciate it."

"No problem. But listen I gotta head to the lab. I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, okay." Khandi said and hung up the phone.

//Tattoo Shop//

Jim pulled the Charger into the parking and parked the car. He sat behind the wheel for a moment before he got out and entered the shop. The woman behind the counter was wearing a black tank top and both arms were covered in tattoos. "Hey, do you have an appointment?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, Jim Brass." he replied.

"Right. Come on back."

Jim followed her to a back room. He took his jacket and dress shirt off and placed them on a hook. Now, he was left wearing only his trousers and a wife beater. Jim sat down in the chair while the woman was getting her needles ready.

Once she was ready she sat down on a stool next to the chair. "Now, what exactly did you want to get done?"

Jim looked at her as she put on a pair of blue latex gloves. "I want the date May 11, 2006, tattooed under this scar, right here." Jim replied and pointed to the scar that the bullet had made.

"No problem." she said.

She started the needle and slowly began to tattoo the date under the scar. Jim winced a little at the pain but since it was a simple tattoo, it only took about fifteen minutes to complete.

Once she was done, she turned the chair toward the mirror so Jim could see it. Now he would never forget the day, in _his_ mind at least, that he fucked up on the job.

The woman placed a small bandage over the tattoo and Jim put his shirt back on. Once that was done he paid and left the shop. Jim got back into the Charger and sat behind the wheel. He still hasn't told Khandi the reason why he wanted to retire but once she sees the tattoo, he'll have no choice.

//Home//

Everyone was sitting in the living room, with the exception of Khandi who was pacing back and forth. "I swear to God, if he's cheating on me I'm gonna force feed him his balls."

"Remind me never to piss her off." Cosmo whispered to Stacey.

"Hey, Khandi, I don't believe for a minute that Jimmy is cheating on you. He loves you way too much to ever hurt you like that." Sam said.

"I hope you're right, Sam."

"What's going on, Khandi? It's not like you to suspect Jimmy of something like this." Stacey said.

"Yeah, well, it's not like Jimmy to go out and not tell me where he's going." Khandi stated as they heard a car pull into the driveway. Khandi looked out the window and saw Jim getting out of the car. "Not a word. I'll talk to him myself."

Just then the front door opened and Jim walked in. When he made his way into the living room he came face to face with a very pissed off Khandi. "What's wrong, honey?" Jim asked.

"What's wrong?" Khandi repeated angrily. "Where the hell were you?"

Jim sighed and looked down at the floor. Khandi knew something was up when Jim broke eye contact with her. Finally he looked back up at her. "Okay, come on. We have to talk."

Khandi felt her stomach tighten and a lump form in her throat as she followed Jim to their bedroom.

"Uh oh, Mommy and Daddy are going to have a talk. I have a very bad feeling about this." Casandra said.

"Yeah, something tells me, Jimmy fucked up big time." Cosmo added.

//Bedroom//

Jim closed the door after Khandi entered and then locked it. "What's going on, Jimmy? Where did you go?"

Jim took a deep breath and looked at Khandi. "I'm going to tell you. I just need to get my thoughts organized first."

Khandi sat down on the bed as tears formed in her eyes. Then she looked up at the one man she truly trusted and felt like he was about to break her heart. "Are you cheating on me, Jimmy?" Khandi asked bluntly.

Jim was shocked at what Khandi had just asked. He quickly knelt down on the floor in front of her and took her trembling hands into his. "What? No, of course not. I would never do that to you. I love you more than anything. It's just I didn't want to tell you where I was going until I had it done."

Khandi was suddenly very confused. "Had what done?"

Jim stood up and removed his jacket, shirt and wife beater and then knelt back down in front of Khandi. She saw the bandage as his hand moved to remove it. "This." he said and showed her the tattoo.

"You got a tattoo?" she asked and then read it. "Why a date?"

"That's the day Willie shot me. I never told you the real reason I wanted to retire."

"Tell me." Khandi said gently and stroked his cheek.

"It's just, I've been on this job a long time and that day in that hotel room, I acted like a damn rookie. Willie beat me at my own game. I figured if I got the tattoo, I'll never forget what happened and I won't make the same mistake again."

Khandi's heart was breaking. She had no idea that Jim felt this way. But then it explained why his commendation wasn't on his wall. Khandi wrapped her arms around Jim and hugged him. "You should have told me, sweetheart."

Jim pulled back and looked into Khandi's eyes. "I know. But it's not something I'm particularly proud of."

"I understand but you risked your life and saved an innocent woman, Jimmy. That means more than you think." Khandi said trying to ease her husband's mind.

Jim smiled at her. "I can't believe you even considered that I was cheating on you." he said.

"I know. But I guess with you rushing out of here like that and not telling me where you're going, I thought it might be possible."

"I'm sorry, baby."

"For what?" Khandi asked curiously.

"For ever making you doubt me. You never have to worry, honey. I'll never do anything to hurt you, okay? Never!"

Khandi smiled and then pulled Jim into a deep, passionate kiss. When the kiss finally broke Jim hugged her and then put a t-shirt on. Once that was done Khandi unlocked the door and opened it.

Just then Stacey, Cosmo, Sam and Casandra fell into the room. "Look, Jimmy, I just caught four eavesdroppers."

"You know that's punishable under Nevada State law." Jim replied grinning.

"You're right. What should we do with them?" Khandi asked.

"Alright, alright, we get it." Casandra said.

"Just tell us everything's okay between you two." Cosmo said.

"Everything's fine, Cosmo." Jim replied.

"Then why were you sneaking around?" Sam asked.

"I wasn't sneaking around. I just went to get a tattoo."

"You got a tattoo?" Stacey asked.

"Yes, he did." Khandi replied.

"Can we see it?" Cosmo asked.

Jim pulled his t-shirt over his head and showed them the tat. "It's just a date." Sam observed.

"Hey, wait. May 11th is the day you were shot." Cosmo said.

"Very good, Cosmo, you wanna treat now?" Jim asked sarcastically.

"Why did you get that?" Stacey asked.

"Just a little reminder." Jim replied.

"Of what?" Casandra asked.

"Of the stupidest day of my life."

"Jimmy, don't say that. You saved a woman's life that day." Khandi reminded him again.

Jim sighed and put his t-shirt back on. "Let's change the subject. I don't wanna talk about it anymore." Jim said.

Jim started to walk away, Casandra and Cosmo followed. "C'mon, Jimmy. You can't run away from it." Casandra pointed out.

"Yeah, I mean I've done some pretty stupid shit too out on that field." Cosmo added.

"Like getting himself blown up."

"Yeah, like getting myself... hey, wait a minute. That was not my fault." Cosmo said defensively.

"Right, Cos, it's never your fault." Khandi said as she followed Jim into the living room.

"Hey!" Comso started.

Casandra sighed. "Okay, let me say something here."

"What?" Jim asked.

"Cosmo, it was your fault. You're bad luck, second, Jimmy, shit happens. You saved a young girl. Anyone of us could have gone in there and it would have happened, or for all we know. Say I went in there, I could have been killed." Casandra pointed out.

Jim sat down in his recliner and sighed. Khandi saw the look in eyes and sat down on the arm of the recliner. "Jimmy, listen to me. Willie shot you because he wanted to shoot you, not because you fucked up. Once he found out that you knew about his brother, that he was already dead, he knew there was no way out. But don't forget, Jimmy, that woman wasn't hurt because you were in that room."

Sam sat down on the couch and looked at Jim and Khandi. "Khandi's right, Jimmy..."

"What am I wrong?" Casandra asked.

Sam looked at her. "Cas and Khandi are right. We all would have played it the same way. The outcome was inevitable, there was no stopping it."

"Even though I didn't come into the picture, until the surgery and that shit was over. I still found out what happened. You would not believe how many people are proud of you Jimmy." Casandra said kneeling down in front of Jimmy, though it hurt like a son of a bitch. "Everyone says that you did the perfect job. Hell I'm proud of you, in so many ways. Now I know what they are saying is right. And believe me, what we say is easier than doing it. Granted yes, it still is bugging you. But I am sure there are other things bugging you that you did in your past as well. Like for me, the hostage taking and me getting shot, it still bugs me cause I could have stopped it. I should have taken that guy down. But what happened happened. There was no way it could have turned out any different. There was no way to say that any of us would of handled it different."

Jim sighed and looked from Casandra to Khandi. Some of what they were saying was starting to sink in but he still felt as though he could've done a lot better. Then there was the whole Bell situation that was playing on Jim's mind. Jim couldn't help but think about how ironic the situation was: Bell died but he lived. Why was it that Bell died at the hands of a fellow officer but Jim lived after being shot by a crazed gunman. He just couldn't grasp that thought. "Okay, I get it. I'm still not completely convinced but I do understand what you're all saying."

"Jim. I don't know what else you're thinking but, I can tell it's not just what happened when I came here. But I will leave it at that. However I can tell you something that might put things in a different perspective. It all started before I put in my transfer. I was asked to be part of a special task force that was tracking a serial killer. This monster became fixated with me. And me and my partner found out he was going to go after my family. We didn't get there in time. I won't go into details but I was the only one that made it out somewhat alive. Now whatever you're thinking about, there is always a reason for things to happen. I lost my family and my best friend because of a monster who was never even caught. I'm sure you can see how I wonder sometimes why I made it out alive and they didn't." Casandra said standing up, slowly. "I'll let you think about that." She added and went off down stairs.

Jim's brow furrowed. It did make him think. He had no idea that Casandra had lost her family. Jim couldn't even comprehend losing his. But maybe she was right, if she could get through something drastic like that and make a new life for herself in Vegas, then Jim had a chance to get past all the turmoil that was weighing on his mind.

Cosmo looked at Sam, and took off running down the stairs after her. Sam looked at Jim. "She didn't tell many people about that. It's something that she had to relive when she was getting her memory back. I don't think she told anyone but me."

Khandi looked at Sam. "I had no idea. I wouldn't be able to go on if I ever lost Jimmy or the kids."

"She's a hell of a strong woman." Sam stated. That was one of the things that attracted Sam to Casandra in the first place. The fact that she had gone through such a horrific ordeal but was able to get herself through it and start her life over.

"Understatment." Jim added. "Everything she said makes sense."

Khandi looked down at Jim. "Glad someone was able to get through that thick skull of your's, honey." she smirked.

"Funny though. It was one of the last people I thought would do it." Stacey said holding Katie.

//Bedroom//

Cosmo knocked on the door and entered before Casandra had a chance to say anything. "Hey, is what you said true or did you say all that stuff to get through to Jimmy?" he asked sitting down next to Casandra on the bed.

Casandra looked at him. Cosmo was taken aback when there were no tears, but her eyes seemed to have lost life in them. "True Cosmo. I lost my husband Jack and my daughter Mackenzie. At that point I fought long and hard not to kill myself. Cause I knew there was something out there. Something that would fill the void I had inside. And living here has. I never thought I would ever date again, or live in a house with this many people. So I guess the answer to your question is, the stuff is true, and I told Jimmy because he needed to know, because it would help him. I don't know really what is going on in his head, other that there is something more than just what happened when I came here nagging at him."

Cosmo looked down at his feet and then back to Casandra. He decided to just put it as bluntly and as straightforward as he could. "Jimmy shot and killed a fellow officer."

Casandra's mouth dropped open. She didn't know what to say at first. Her gut told her it was not on purpose. "Accident? Had to be right?"

Cosmo looked at her. "The fact that you have to ask that question, tells me you don't know Jimmy as well as you think you do. But of course it was an accident. We got involved in a police chase with four gangbangers. Officer Bell was a rookie and stood up during the battle. One of the perps hit him in the vest and Jimmy hit him in the neck as he was firing at the suspects. It bothers Jimmy because Officer Bell left behind two small kids and a pregnant wife. He's never been the same since. I think that was part of the reason he jumped at the chance to be in that room with Willie. Partly to make peace with what he'd done."

Casandra hung her head down. Maybe she didn't know Jim as well as she thought. But than again, maybe she didn't know everyone here as well as she had hoped. She had not been in the house that long. She was the one that budged in, to their personal life. It could have been as simple as she had her own apartment and wasn't living with them. She felt extremely guilty at the fact of what she said and what Cosmo replied with.

Cosmo put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. Everybody's been through tough shit. The only difference with our situation is we've got a hell of a big support system to rely on." he said smiling.

She looked at him, "The only thing that's bugging me, is... well... I guess I really don't know the people I work with. Or the people I live with. I mean you told me so with Jimmy."

Cosmo sighed. "Listen, no one can ever really know a person. Not completely anyway. Even when you live and work with them everyday."

Casandra looked at Cosmo. She smiled. "You're right. I guess, I just have to learn. I'll survive." She said as she stood up, and looked at him.

Cosmo smiled back. "Uh, you might want to rethink those last words words, hon. Especially when you work with us."

She looked at Cosmo, and pushed him so he was lying on the bed. "I've made it this far."

Cosmo put his hands up in defense. "Okay, point taken."

She smirked and left the room.

**TBC...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Casandra walked up the stairs to have Noah waddle his way towards her. She picked him up, "Hungy." Noah mumbled.

"Okay, little one. Let's take you to your mama." Casandra said as she started to search the house. She made her way down stairs to find Jim. "Hey, where is everyone?"

"They went out. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Jim asked.

Casandra frowned, slightly confused. "Yeah sure. Let me just get a bottle for Noah."

Jim followed her to the kitchen. He sat down on the stool next to the island. "It's about what you told me."

Casandra pulled a bottle out of the fridge and handed it to Noah who was in her arms. She turned around and looked at Jim. "Okay, what about it?"

Jim was looking down at the counter and clenching his left hand. A nervous twitch he got often. "How were you able to get through what had happened? I mean if I lost my family I wouldn't be able to go on."

Casandra placed Noah in his highchair and took a seat beside Jim. "Well, it obviously wasn't easy. For a long time afterwards I was extremely depressed. I didn't want to go on living without them. But I started seeing a therapist and she convinced me that the best thing was for me to move away from Dallas and make a fresh start. Why I chose Vegas, I really don't know. Although, looking back now, my showing up here didn't start off that great."

Jim looked over at her and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Khandi can be really stubborn sometimes."

Casandra took Jim's hand in hers and looked at him. "It wasn't only Khandi. Actually, it all started with Sam."

"Sam? Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, when I first met him he was drunk off his ass in your office." Jim chuckled at the thought. "He threw his scotch bottle at me."

"So that's what happened to my window."

"Yeah. Anyway, we said some really horrible things to each other and that night it just about pushed me over the edge." She suddenly let go of Jim's hand and looked away. Tears started to form in her eyes and her voice became shaky. "I just couldn't deal with what was happening and I was sitting in my apartment about to..."

Jim knew what she was about to tell him and he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, you don't have to say it."

Casandra sniffed and Jim handed her a kleenex. "Thank you. Anyway, Sam showed up at my door..."

"Well, it's a good thing he did." Jim interrupted

Casandra looked back at Jim and slightly smiled. "Yeah, it is. If he didn't, I wouldn't be here now and we wouldn't be having this baby." she slipped. She placed her right hand on her abdomen, looked down and sighed thinking about Sam.

Jim shook his head. "You're pregnant?" Jim asked surprised.

Casandra looked back up at Jim and laughed when she saw the shocked expression on his face. "Oh, I forgot. You guys weren't there when the doctor told us. But I'm surprised Cosmo didn't let it slip out."

"Whoa, hold on a minute. Cosmo knew about this and he didn't tell us? I'm gonna throttle him." Jim said.

Casandra laughed. "Yep, I can just see it now. You throwing Cosmo down the stairs, we all end up at the hospital and the nurse asks us how he ended up there and she can add it onto the list."

Jim laughed at the image. "Yeah, that list is getting pretty long now. I can't believe everything we've been through and survived."

"Yeah; toilet paper length." Casandra added. "By the way; where did everyone go?"

"They, uh, went... out." Jim said hesitantly.

"I can see that; but where and why weren't we invited?"

"Ba! Ba!" Noah said since his bottle was empty.

Jim walked over to Noah and picked him up. Then he walked to the fridge and got him another bottle. "I knew there was a reason I wanted you to stay home." he said smiling at Noah.

"Man that kid can eat - well understandable since Cosmo is the father." Casandra commented than turned to Jim. "Jimmy, you never answered my question."

Jim turned and looked at her. "Hmm? What question was that?"

Casandra sighed and pulled her hair up. "You know what I'm talking about."

Jim ignored her and tried to change the subject. "Oh, I think the little man here needs a diaper change." Jim said and started to walk out of the kitchen.

She got up and poured herself a class of water. "Jimmy, you're not good at playing dumb!" She yelled at him from the kitchen.

"Never claimed to be good at it." Jim called back and continued to make his way to Noah's room to change him.

//Store//

Khandi made her way down the baking aisle, "You know I should bake her a cake." Khandi said thinking outloud.

Stacey and Cosmo looked at each other. "No!" they said in unison.

Khandi made a face at them; "C'mon it could be fun."

"How about we just buy one?" Stacey suggested. She looked at Cosmo; "Uh two."

"Two?" Sam asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, one for me and one for everyone else." Cosmo replied.

"Mommy, I want chocolate." Little Jimmy yelled.

"Hush!" Khandi said to Little Jimmy, "Inside voice, honey."

"I want chocolate!" Little Sammy said.

"How about a chocolate cake?" Cosmo suggested.

"Okay, I can make one of those." Khandi said.

Stacey sighed. "No, no baking, no cooking, nothing!"

"Unless they're made with curtains." Sam added.

Cosmo looked at Khandi. "Yeah, but you may want to keep an eye on these ones. The last ones were too well done."

"Oh, that reminds me." Stacey said. "We need to get a new fire extinguisher."

"Damn you guys are a pain in my ass." Khandi said.

"But you love us." Cosmo replied. "Right?"

"Mommy, don't say bad words." Little Jimmy added.

"Right?" Cosmo continued.

Khandi looked at Cosmo. "Sometimes." she said and fixed the blanket that was over Katie in the stroller.

Cosmo took a step back. "Sometimes? Oh, I'm hurt now." He said and pretended to pout.

"Suck it up." Stacey said putting a bag of chocolate bars in the cart Cosmo was pushing.

Little Sammy, who was in the cart, smiled. "Chocolate! Yay!"

Zoey started to fuss in her stroller. "Shhh, it's okay baby." Stacey said and put a pacifier in her daughter's mouth. "Daddy's just being himself again."

"Okay any idea what we're getting Cas for her birthday?" Sam asked, already having picked out his for her.

"How about a... teddy. You know the ones she should put on for you Sammy?" Cosmo smirked.

Stacey slapped Cosmo on the shoulder. "Pervert."

"Well it should be expected of him. He used to walk in on you in the shower all the time, Stacey." Khandi said.

"But, I think it would look nice on her." Cosmo defended.

Sam glared at Cosmo. "You're going to look really funny upside down in the cart."

"You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

Khandi looked between Cosmo and Sam. "Hey, wait a second Cosmo. You wanna buy her a teddy but when exactly would you get to see her in it?"

Cosmo now felt put in the spotlight. He was about to say something when Stacey stepped in. "Unless there is something you're not telling us."

"Uh, uh..." Was all Cosmo got out.

Sam looked at him. "Have you been peeking at her in the shower, too?"

"Uh, wait a moment!"

"You're gonna find yourself upside in the cart if you don't answer now, Renfro." Sam stated.

"Uh..."

"Cosmo, you wanna find yourself sleeping on the couch? Or how about outside in the yard?" Stacey asked.

Just than one of the courtesy clerk from the store walked up. "You guys finding everything okay?"

Everyone was still staring at Cosmo and ignoring the clerk. "Well?" Stacey asked.

"Hey, it's not me who's home alone with her right now, is it?" he said defensively.

"COSMO!" Khandi yelled. "How dare you!"

"I guess you are." The clerk said and almost ran away.

"What?" Cosmo asked.

"You asshole." Sam said grabbing him by the shirt.

"Wait. Let me do it." Stacey said pulling Sam away.

Khandi shook her head mumbling to herself. "We live with a peeping-tom."

Stacey grabbed Cosmo by his neck and pushed him up against the shelves. "What the hell were you thinking? Saying something like that?"

Cosmo's breath came out in ragged gasps. "What? I've... noticed her... checking... him out... when he's lifting... weights in the garage."

Khandi looked at Cosmo and the group. "Okay break it up. Cosmo the only way you'd know that is if you were watching her."

Stacey let Cosmo go and he fell to the ground gasping for air. "Hey, wait a minute..."

Sam loomed over Cosmo. "You got a thing for her, Cosmo?"

Stacey heard the question and looked down at Cosmo. "Yeah, I'd like to know the answer to that question too."

"I plead the 5th." Cosmo answered.

Sam grabbed Cosmo and pulled him up off the floor. "Wrong fucking answer, Renfro. Now, you tell me... do you have a thing for Casandra?"

"Gleep." Cosmo got out.

Stacey moved next to Sam as a crowd started to gather around the group. "You better speak up, mister, or you're gonna find yourself homeless really fast."

Cosmo pulled himself away from Sam. "And what if I do. You're the one with the hots for Nana Mary."

Tears started to well up in Stacey's eyes. "I can't believe it."

Khandi moved next to Stacey and put an arm around her shoulders. "Cosmo, you really fucked up this time."

"And I do not have the hots for Nana Mary." Sam added.

//Home//

Casandra was sitting on the couch reading a book while Jim watched TV. "I wonder what they're up to. You honestly don't know?" Casandra asked.

Jim looked at her. "Honestly, all I know is that they went out."

Casandra looked down her book. "Mmm, okay."

A couple minutes later they heard the door open. "You really are a fucking pervert, Cosmo." Khandi said as they started up the stairs.

Casandra looked at Jim. "I guess they're back." She said getting off the couch.

Everyone came up the stairs looking mad. Cosmo was the last one. "How do you guys even know if the baby is Sammy's and not Jimmy's?"

Casandra had heard that loud and clear. "Cosmo!" She yelled now fully pissed off. She marched up to him and pushed him down the stairs.

Cosmo had grabbed the railing. "What?" He yelled back at her.

"How dare you even say that you fucking bastard. You damn well know that it is Sammy's baby!" Casandra yelled.

Jim got up from the couch and walked over to the stairs. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, not fully hearing what Cosmo had said.

Stacey had now been crying for awhile. Khandi took her into the living room and sat down on the couch with her. "I can't believe he would do that." Stacey sobbed.

"Honestly how do we know?" Cosmo yelled.

"Because I know!" Casandra yelled back. "You were a close friend of mine and you go and say that? Cosmo, how could you?"

"How could I what?" Cosmo asked frowning.

Casandra took a deep breath on the verge of tears and totally pissed. "How could you say that my baby is not Sam's?"

Jim looked at Cosmo shocked and then placed a comforting arm around Casandra shoulders. "Cosmo, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Jim asked.

"Me? Well, you two look pretty cozy with each other right now." Cosmo replied.

Casandra flipped. "You fucking bastard." She said as she pushed him again. "Have you totally lost your fucking mind?"

Cosmo looked at Casandra. "Hey, I wasn't the one alone with you. Just what went on here while we were gone?"

Jim turned and rage flashed in his eyes. "Whoa, just what the fuck are you insinuating here, Cos?" Jim yelled.

Cosmo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe that you two are having a little too much fun."

Jim lunged at Cosmo but Casandra beat him to it and punched him right in the nose, sending him flying back against the wall. As Cosmo landed on the floor Sam came up behind Casandra. She was breathing heavily and the tears were now falling freely. Sam turned her around and pulled her into a hug.

"He shouldn't have said that, Sam. It's just not true." Casandra said sobbing against Sam's chest.

"And what if I shouldn't have? What if it is true." Cosmo said tending to his now bloody nose.

Casandra turned around to look at Cosmo. "Well, it's not!"

"Right. I saw you checking him out while he was lifting weights in the garage!" Cosmo yelled standing back up.

"Cosmo Renfro! You're sucking around to donate a pint of blood out your nose!" Khandi yelled.

Jim looked at Cosmo and then at Khandi. "I think he's already done that, honey."

"Glad you find this funny, Jimmy." Cosmo said.

"On the contrary, Cosmo. This is anything but funny." Jim stated and walked back into the living room to where Khandi and Stacey were.

Casandra looked at Cosmo. "You wanna tell me why you're making all these accusations?"

"Because he's a fucking pervert! That's why!" Stacey yelled and started to cry again.

Jim turned back around and looked at Cosmo. "You know, it almost sounds like you're jealous, Cosmo. Although, of what, I don't know."

Cosmo sighed, he was jealous though didn't want to admit it. "I'm not it's just."

"Just what Renfro?" Sam asked.

Cosmo leaned against the wall. "I don't know anymore, man."

Stacey jumped up from the couch. "Why don't you just admit that you're in love with Casandra!? Oh, no, wait you already did that!" Stacey yelled and then ran out of the room crying.

"In love with me? Cosmo is this true?" Casandra asked, shocked.

Cosmo turned red and looked down at the floor. He mumbled something that was too quiet for Casandra to hear.

"Speak up, Cosmo. Now, tell me, are you in love with me?"

Cosmo looked up at Casandra. "No! I'm in love with Stacey not you."

"Then what the hell was that all about?"

"Cause it sounds like you opened your big mouth." Sam commented.

"I just made a stupid ass comment in the store that was taken the wrong way. That's all."

"Stupid is right." Khandi said walking out of the living room.

"What did you say?" Jim asked.

Cosmo sighed and looked at Jim. "Sam asked what we should get Cassy for her birthday and I was just being a smartass when I suggested a teddy."

"Yeah but then you said you thought she'd look good in it." Khandi added.

Casandra laughed. "Cosmo that's not for you to decide. But it's kinda a compliment too."

Three heads turned in unison and did a doubletake at what she said. "What do mean a compliment?" Sam asked.

"What? It is kinda flattering."

"Really?" Cosmo asked. "Not mad?"

"No still mad." Casandra said walking away.

Sam followed Casandra and Jim and Khandi looked at Cosmo. "Okay, now I wanna know why you accused me and Cas of cheating?" Jim asked.

"I have my reasons, Jimmy. They just came out wrong this time." Cosmo answered

"Whoa, hold on a minute. What reasons? What the hell did we do that would give you these kind of suspicions?"

"What? You have reasons that my husband could be cheating on me?" Khandi asked ready to make his nose bleed a little more.

"Hey, I've noticed Casandra watching you workout in the garage."

Khandi looked at Cosmo. "What? You mean, sitting there staring openly and drooling over him?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what, Cosmo? Help us out here." Khandi pleaded.

"She just kept looking." Cosmo answered.

"Cosmo, grab the wheel you're swerving." Jim said.

"Everytime she walked by the door she looked in there at you."

"You're jumping to conclusions." Jim replied.

"Am I? Really?"

"Yes, you are. And the only reason you would know that is if you were watching her. I happen to lift my weights with the door open because the kids like running in and out of there. All I'm trying to do is get strength back in my right arm."

Cosmo sighed. "Boy did I fuck up."

Khandi shook her head. "Now that's the understatement of the century. But right now, you have to figure out how to make things right with Stacey. Because if you don't... well I think we know what'll happen."

"Yeah, I know. And I can't loose her." Cosmo said.

"Go talk to her. Because if you don't that's exactly what'll happen." Jim said. Cosmo just nodded and walked off down the hall. Jim then turned to Khandi. "Please tell me you weren't doubting me again."

"No, no, I know Cosmo was full of shit." Khandi smiled.

//Stacey & Cosmo's Room//

Stacey was laying on the bed with Zoey when Cosmo walked into the room quietly. He walked over to the bed and looked down at his wife and daughter. "Stacey? Can we talk?"

Stacey looked up at him. "I have nothing to say to you, Cosmo."

He sat down on the bed. "Look, I know you think I'm in love with Cassy but I'm not."

"Please, Cosmo, you admitted you were."

"It all came out wrong. Would you just listen. Baby please." Cosmo said pleading.

Stacey looked at him. "Make it short."

Cosmo took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Listen, that remark I made in the store about the teddy was just meant to be a smartass comment. I only said it would look good on her because she's attractive. That's all. I'm so sorry if you thought I was in love with her or in any way wanted to see her in that teddy because I don't. I wouldn't mind seeing you in one though." Cosmo said trying to break the tension somewhat.

"Keep going."

Cosmo let out a huge sigh of relief. Hopefully he was on the track here and it wouldn't get derailed again. He placed his hand on her arm and she looked up at him. "Trust me baby, I think you're the sexiest woman in the world. Believe me when I say I don't want anyone else, only you. I love you more than anything and I'm so sorry that I hurt you."

She looked down. "Seriously? You're not feeding me some load of bullshit?"

Cosmo looked over at his daughter, who was busy sucking on her hand, and then back to Stacey. "No way, baby. You and the kids are what matters the most to me. I don't want to lose you. Please, baby, this is not a load of bullshit."

"Aww, Cosmo!" Stacey said and started to cry and hugged him.

//Sam & Casandra's Room//

Casandra was sitting in bed leaning back against the headboard and was watching Sam getting ready for bed. "I still can't believe Cosmo said all those things."

"Yeah well Cosmo can be a real moron sometimes." Sam replied pulling a t-shirt on.

"I know that. But saying there was something going on between me and Jimmy and that this wasn't your baby. I mean, how could he think that?"

"This is Cosmo, meathead the wonder dumby of the century." Sam said sitting down on the bed.

Casandra shook her head. "Yeah, total wonder dumby. But still it just pisses me off."

Sam leaned back against the headboard and took Casandra hand into his. "I know it does. But if it's any consolation, you got a hell of right hook." Sam said smiling.

"Yeah well he deserved it."

Sam nodded. "That's for sure."

Casandra looked at Sam. There was something weighing on her mind and she really needed an answer. "Sam, I just hope you never believed what he was saying."

Sam looked at her. "About you and Jimmy?" She nodded. "No. I know you're not the cheating type. And Jimmy would never, ever hurt Khandi like that. Sometimes I think Cosmo says things just to hear himself talk."

Casandra laughed. "Yeah, he really needs to start thinking before he speaks."

"This is Cosmo. It'll never happen."

"True." Casandra said and placed her head on Sam's shoulder. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about Cosmo anymore, okay?"

"Fine by me." Sam said. Then he leaned over, kissed her and pulled her tightly against his chest.

"Hmm, great way to change a subject." Casandra said and flicked the light out.

//Jim & Khandi's Room//

Khandi was laying awake in bed and glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It read 3:49. She was laying there listening to the sound of Jim's breathing. They had made love and Jim fell asleep, while Khandi could not.

She layed there thinking about what had happened and how stupid Cosmo proved himself to be. But then she shouldn't be surprised because more than once Cosmo proved that he didn't know when to shut up. No, she knew Jim and Casandra would never do that. Especially with each other. Khandi decided to put the situation out of her mind and drifted off to sleep just after four.

TBC...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Khandi was one of the last ones to wake up. Since it was one of the few weekends that they were not all on call, she knew that it was going to be a mad house. And what made it even worse in some ways was that it was Casandra's birthday.

Khandi was so comfy she did not want to get out of bed. However, the yelling making its way into the bedroom caused her to get up.

"No! I wan da swoon!" She heard Little Sammy yell.

"Hush! You don't want to wake everyone in the house, Sammy." She could just make out Stacey's voice.

"Hey, what's all the yelling about?" Khandi heard Jim ask.

Khandi grabbed her house coat and made her way out the door. "What is going on?"

"Uh-oh, we woke Mommy." Little Jimmy commented.

"No you didn't, Little Trooper. You guys woke me." Casandra said making her way up the stairs.

Stacey looked at Jim. "Get her out of here, please." she whispered.

Jim nodded. "Uh, Cas can I talk to you outside."

Casandra looked at everyone that was upstairs. "Uh, okay."

Once they were out on the balcony, Stacey sighed. "Phew. Okay who wants to help ice the cake?"

"Oh I do! I do! I do!" Little Jimmy, Little Sammy and Noah chanted. Zoey and Katie were playing in the play pen oblivious to what was going on.

"What is going on? World War Three?" Cosmo said coming up the stairs.

Stacey was trying to get Noah's hands out of the chocolate icing. "Cosmo, take your kid." Stacey said as she got Noah's hands away from the bowl.

Noah started to cry. "I wanna eat it, Daddy!" he said as Cosmo picked him up.

"No, not 'til later, little guy." Cosmo said walking away with Noah.

Little Jimmy looked at Little Sammy than Stacey. "Chocolate!" they shouted.

Stacey sighed and gave them each a spoon with some chocolate on it. "Cosmo, get your butt back here with Noah, I got a swoon for him." She said.

"Swoon?" Sam asked walking up the stairs.

Stacey looked at Sam and smiled. "It's what the boys call a spoon." she said handing one to Noah with some chocolate on it.

Khandi walked over to the counter and looked into the bowl. "Ooo, this looks good." she said taking some on her finger and licking it off.

Stacey slapped her on the shoulder. "Keep your hands out of the bowl. I just yelled at the boys for doing that."

"Yeah, Khan, you're not a very good role model." Sam stated, smirking at her.

"Never claimed to be. The only reason the kids look up to me is because I'm taller than them." Khandi grinned.

Stacey finished icing the cake and looked at Sam. "Okay, everything's ready. Casandra's outside with Jimmy. Why don't you go get her."

Sam nodded and left the kitchen. A minute later Jim came inside and made his way to the dining room to join the rest of the family. He stood next to Khandi and kissed her cheek. "They'll be in, in a minute." he said.

Just then they heard Sam telling Casandra to close her eyes. When they appeared in the dining room everyone shouted: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Casandra opened her eyes and saw everyone standing around the table. Then her eyes went to the chocolate cake, with lit candles, sitting on the table. "I can't believe you did this." she said as Sammy and Noah tried to make a grab for the cake. Jim and Cosmo grabbed them and pulled them back from the table.

Then everyone sang Happy Birthday and Casandra blew out the candles on the cake. "What did you wish for?" Stacey asked.

"NO! Don't tell us or it won't come true." Khandi said.

Sam took Casandra's hand and smiled at her. "Okay, I have something for you." he said and suddenly got down on one knee in front of her and produced a small velvet box.

"Oh, wow." Khandi said.

"Honey, shhh." Jim replied, smiling at her.

"Casandra, I love you more than anything in the world and I never thought I ever wanted to get married until I met you. So, I guess what I'm trying to say here is... will you marry me?"

"YES, she will!" Khandi blurted out. Everyone looked over at Khandi. "What?"

Jim looked over at Khandi with raised eyebrows. "Uh, I'm pretty sure he asked Cas, honey. Why don't you let her answer?"

Casandra's eyes welled up with tears and she smiled at Sam. "Yes, I'd love to marry you, Sam."

Sam placed the ring on her finger and kissed her. Everyone cheered and clapped for the newly engaged couple.

Little Jimmy looked around and then looked up at his parents. "Mommy, daddy... can we have cake now?"

Jim and Khandi looked down at their son and smiled. When he looked at them with that innocent little puppy dog stare they could never say no to him. "Okay, I'll get the plates. Casandra, why don't you do the honors and cut the cake." Khandi said as she made her way out of the dining room. Casandra wasn't paying attention to her. She was still smiling at Sam. "CAS!"

Casandra came back to reality and looked at Khandi. "Hmmm? What?"

"I'm getting the plates. You cut the cake."

"Oh, okay. Yeah sure." she replied and walked back around the table.

"Hey, I guess that means Daddy is getting married." Cosmo said as he sat down.

"Cosmo..." Sam said glaring at him.

Cosmo was about to open his mouth with another smartass remark but clamped it shut again when he saw the look on Sam's face. He glanced over and saw Stacey glaring at him also. He knew he shouldn't joke around considering everyone's nerves were still raw with what happened yesterday. Maybe Cosmo was learning when to shut up after all. Nah, he just didn't want another punch in the nose.

Khandi came back into the dining room and placed the plates in the table, along with the forks. Noah and Sammy were already sitting in their highchairs but Little Jimmy was nowhere in sight.

"Where's Little Jimmy?" Khandi asked as she looked around.

"He was just here." Jim replied.

Sam looked at Casandra. "Have you cut the cake yet?"

"I was just about to do that." she said and picked the knife up off the table. Then she looked all around the table but saw no cake anywhere. "Uh, guys, where's the cake?"

Everyone looked at the table and only saw the plates and forks that Khandi had placed there but no cake.

Khandi looked at Jim and he knew exactly what she was thinking. "Jimmy!" he yelled.

Everyone started searching the house looking for the missing boy and birthday cake. Khandi came back into the dining room and noticed some movement coming from under the dining room table.

She lifted the table cloth and there sat Little Jimmy with two fists full of chocolate cake, a face covered in chocolate cake and a chocolate cake that looked like it had just come back from a tour in Vietnam.

"James Thomas Brass, what are you doing?" Khandi reprimanded but had to fight hard to keep the smile off her face. He may have asked his parents if he could have cake but being a little kid he didn't have a lot of patience.

Everyone came back into the dining room when they heard Khandi's voice and saw her under the table.

Jim knelt down beside his wife and looked at his son sitting under the table with the war torn cake. He couldn't help the smile that graced his face. "What are you doing, son?"

"Eating cake, Daddy." Little Jimmy smiled.

His parents chuckled and Jim pulled him out from under the table.

"Oh, looks like the little guy beat us to the cake." Cosmo smiled.

Khandi came out from under the table with what was left of Casandra's birthday cake. "Sorry, Cas. I guess he just couldn't help himself."

"No worries." Casandra said. "It's just a cake."

Stacey came in from the kitchen and placed a new chocolate cake on the table. "That's why last night I suggested two cakes. I was certain one of the boys would have destroyed one of them."

Casandra smiled and began to cut the new cake into nice sized wedges. Khandi cut what she could of the ruined cake and gave that to the boys. It didn't matter to them, as long as they got to have some.

**//Later - Outside - The Deck//**

Khandi and Stacey were inside cleaning up from the celebration as Casandra made her way out onto the deck. Cosmo was leaning against the railing, sipping from a cup of coffee. Casandra walked over and stopped next to him. She leaned against the railing and looked over at Cosmo. "I think we should talk." she said.

Cosmo took another sip from his cup and looked at her. "Okay." he replied carefully.

"I just want to know what made you say all those things."

Cosmo shook his head. "I don't know. It all started as a smartass comment that just ended up out of control. I really didn't mean anything by it."

"Yeah, but insinuating that this wasn't Sam's baby. That's taking the joke too far Cosmo, even for you."

"I know and I'm really sorry I said that. It's official, I'm a smart mouthed jackass who just doesn't know when to shut up." he smirked.

Casandra smiled back at him. "You see, Cos. You can still have that weird sense of humor of yours without having to get mean."

Cosmo put his cup down on the railing and then put his arm around Casandra's shoulders. "So, can you forgive me for running my mouth off?"

Casandra leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed loudly. "I guess so. Just don't ever let anything like that come out of that mouth of yours again. Because I just might have to put my sewing skills to good use."

Cosmo stood up straight and held his hand up showing the boy scout sign. "Scout's honor." he replied.

"Were you ever a scout, Cosmo?"

"Well, technically, no." he stated and than added hastily. "But the same principle applies."

Casandra laughed and punched Cosmo in the shoulder. "See, that's the same old Cosmo I know and love."

"You say that now. But wait five minutes."

"Smartass." Casandra said and made her way back into the house.

Cosmo smiled and leaned back on the railing. He was thankful that Casandra was able to forgive him for shooting his mouth off without thinking. The last thing he wanted was to lose her as a friend. But now it seemed like everything was getting back on track.

**TBC...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**//Seven Months Later//**

During the last seven months a lot had happened in the Cavalry house. Sam and Casandra were now officially married and received the unexpected news that they were expecting twins. They were overjoyed that they were going to be having a son _and _a daughter. Or as Cosmo said, killing two birds with one stone.

Little Jimmy had now started kindergarten and Jim and Khandi could not believe how much he loved it. He had already made quite a few friends and looked forward to going to school.

* * *

Everyone was sitting around the breakfast table in the dining room as Casandra waddled her way in. She managed to plunk herself into a chair as she noticed Cosmo staring at her stomach, again.

"What?" she asked, annoyed.

"Are you sure there's only two babies in there?" he asked. "Because from the size of your belly you could be carrying a football team. Helmets and all."

Casandra smirked and placed a hand on her growing belly. At that moment she felt the twins give her a kick. "I know. It's okay little ones. Uncle Cosmo is just being his usual annoying self."

Cosmo smirked as he bit into a piece of bacon. "Where's Sammy?" he asked.

"I right here, Unca Como." Little Sammy piped up from his highchair.

Jim looked up from his newspaper and smiled at his son. "Uh oh. I think Cosmo's smartass remarks are starting to rub off on the kids." he stated.

Casandra smiled at Little Sammy and then looked back at Cosmo. "He's in the bathroom."

"Morning sickness again?" Stacey asked as she gave Katie and Zoey their cereal.

"I think it's sweet." Khandi said as Sam made his way into the dining room.

"All those doctors out there that say sympathy pains don't exist are full of shit." he groaned and sat down at the table next to Casandra.

She placed a cup of coffee in front of him and as the brew wafted up to his nose he felt sick and had to bolt out of the room.

"I'm glad that never happened to me." Cosmo remarked as he buttered a slice of toast.

"I'm with you on this one, Cosmo." Jim replied and took a sip of his coffee.

"You guys just aren't as sensitive as Sam." Stacey said as she gave Sammy and Noah more cereal.

Little Jimmy took this moment to hop off his chair and make his way over to Jim. He was already dressed in his Las Vegas policeman costume. "Daddy, I'm finished eating. I wanna go trick or treating now."

Jim chuckled and looked down at his son. "It's not time yet, buddy."

Khandi reached over and smoothed Little Jimmy's hair. "Daddy's right sweetie. You still have to go to school first and your Halloween party is today."

His little face lit up as he ran from the room. "Yay, school!"

"I wanna go school." Sammy yelled from his highchair.

"You're still too little to go to school, little man." Stacey said and looked over at Khandi. "I have never seen a kid that excited about school."

"Trust me, it won't last." Khandi replied.

"You got that right." Jim added. "Wait until he's in high school. We won't even be able to get him out of bed."

Sam reentered the dining room and sat back down at the table. Stacey went to the kitchen and returned with a plate that contained Sam's breakfast. He looked down at the food and bolted from the room again.

Jim shook his head and looked at Casandra. "You better have those babies soon or Sam will be nothing but skin and bones. Poor guy can't stomach anything."

Casandra shrugged and reached for Sam's plate just as Cosmo did. "Cosmo!" she snapped. "Let go of that plate before you lose that arm."

Cosmo released the plate quickly. "Geeze, with the way you're eating these days, it's no wonder you're the size of a small planet." he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Casandra asked with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Nothing." Cosmo said and quickly left the dining room.

Jim chuckled at the exchange and stood up. "Well, I'm outta here. Enjoy your day off." he said to Khandi and kissed her.

"Have a good day at work. Be safe." she replied as he left the room.

Jim made his way down the hall. "Come on guys. Wagon train's pulling out."

Little Jimmy came running down the hall with his lunchbox, that contained his snack, in his hand. "I'm ready daddy."

Jim smiled and picked him up. "Like your costume, big guy."

Little Jimmy grinned. "I'm a policeman like you, daddy."

Just then Sam and Cosmo appeared. "Looking sharp, little man." Cosmo stated.

"I know." Little Jimmy replied matter of factly.

The guys just laughed and left the house.

* * *

Hours later, Khandi was trying to get Sammy and Noah in to their devil costumes, as Little Jimmy was playing with his trucks in the living room and the girls were napping.

Casandra was sitting on a chair in the kitchen. She was wearing a tube top and a pair of shorts and Stacey was sitting in front of her.

She had just finished painting Casandra's bulging belly into a bright orange jack-o-lantern. "Okay, all finished."

Casandra lifted herself off the chair and made her way down the hall to look in the full length mirror. When she saw her reflection she started to laugh. "Oh my God." she said and looked back at Stacey. "You did a great job, Stace. This is fantastic."

"Thanks." Stacey smiled.

Khandi had finally managed to get the boys into their costumes and they came running down the hall. "Boys, I told you. No running in the house." Khandi called after them and then she saw Casandra's belly. "Whoa. Watch out, it's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown."

Casandra chuckled and was about to place a hand on her belly when Stacey stopped her. "Don't touch it it's still wet."

Casandra quickly pulled her hand away. "Sorry. I forgot."

Sammy and Noah made their way back down the hall and happened to notice something different about their Aunt Casandra.

Sammy looked at her giant belly and pointed. "Aunty Casa's a punkin." he said in his best english.

Noah tried to reach up and touch Casandra's belly but his mom stopped him. "No, sweetie, don't touch."

"I wanna touch the punkin, mommy." Noah cried.

"You can touch it later okay." Stacey said.

"Okay, mommy." he replied and he and Sammy took off down the hall.

Stacey looked at Khandi. "Are the girls dressed yet?" she asked.

"Not yet. They're still sleeping. If they're not up by the time Jimmy gets here I'll wake them."

Just then, the door opened and Sam and Cosmo made their way into the house. Cosmo noticed Casandra's belly right away. Well, it was pretty hard not to. Considering it was painted bright orange.

"Cassy, you keep telling me not to stare at your stomach yet you go and do things like this." he said as Sam walked up next to him and noticed his wife's belly.

"What the hell did you do?" he asked, shocked at what he was seeing.

"What? It's Halloween and I thought it would be fun. Stacey did it for me."

"You did this to her?" Cosmo asked his wife.

"Yeah. I think it's cute." Stacey replied.

"I think it's ridiculous." Sam remarked.

Tears suddenly welled up in Casandra's eyes as her hormones took charge. "How can you call your children ridiculous?" she asked, but left the room before he could answer.

Sam stood there dumbfounded as Cosmo placed an ar around his shoulders. "Gee, and everybody says I don't know when to shut up."

Stacey shook her head and looked at her husband. "Cosmo?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Stacey smirked.

"Yes, dear."

Suddenly Casandra came back and glared at Sam. "You know I thought it would be nice if they could dress up too."

Sam cocked his eyebrow and was befuddled at his wife's way of thinking. But before he could speak Khandi spoke up first. "Yeah, Sam. We're all getting dressed up. You know, when we take the kids out trick or treating."

"We are?" he asked confused. "I don't even have a costume."

"Don't worry. Jim and I took care of that for you." Khandi chuckled and left the room.

Sam watched her walk off and then looked at his wife. "Oh this can't be good."

* * *

An hour later Jim made his way in through the garage door that lead into the house. He was carrying several garment bags and a box. Khandi met him in the kitchen to help him.

"Okay, these two are our costumes." he said as he handed her two bags. "These two are Stacey and Cosmo's. And this one here in the box is Sam's."

"Oh, he's not going to like this at all."

"Come on, honey. If he can voluntarily wear it once then he can wear it again for the kids."

Khandi made her way into her bedroom and placed the bags, that contained her and Jim's costumes, on the bed and put the box that contained Sam's costume on the floor behind the bedroom door.

Jim had gave Stacey and Cosmo their costumes and made his way down to his bedroom to change.

"So what did you decide on this year, honey?" Khandi asked as Jim stripped out of his suit.

"I decided on Dracula."

"Oooh, sexy." Khandi drawled and made her way over to Jim. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a steamy kiss.

After a minute, Jim pulled away. "This is the last thing I wanna do but we have to stop. The kid's are waiting and we need to change."

Khandi sighed and pulled herself away from Jim. "You're right. Besides, I can't wait to see the look on Sam's face when we give him his costume."

* * *

Half an hour later Jim emerged from his bedroom and made his way into the living room. "Oh great costume, Jimmy." Casandra commented.

"Thanks, Cas." Jim replied.

Stacey made her way into the room. She was decked out in her full witches costume, pointy hat and all.

"Okay, Jim. Into the kitchen and I'll make up your face." Stacey said.

Casandra, still sporting her pumpkin belly, made her way down to Cosmo and Stacey's room and knocked on the door. "Hey Cosmo, you gonna show us your costume tonight or what?"

"I can't get this damn parrot to sit right on my shoulder." he yelled back from behind the closed door.

"Parrot?" she muttered to herself. "Let me in and I'll help you."

Just then the door opened. "Never mind, I got it." Cosmo said as he appeared in the doorway. He looked like he could have been Johnny Depp's stunt double in the Pirates of the Caribbean, of course minus the parrot sitting on his shoulder.

"Oh, that is unbelievable." Casandra stated as Sam walked up behind her.

"Hey, Captain Crunch, have you seen Khandi? She's supposed to have my costume."

"Arrr matey, me thinks she be in her cabin." Cosmo stated in his best pirate speak.

Sam stared at Cosmo. He had no clue what the hell he just said. Casandra looked back at her husband and laughed. "She's in her bedroom, honey." Casandra translated for him.

Sam shook his head. "Why the hell didn't he just say that?" he muttered as he made his way down the hall.

He stopped at Jim and Khandi's bedroom door and knocked. Khandi answered wearing a sexy nurse's costume.

Sam whistled when he saw her. "Whoo, you could definitely give Florence Nightingale a run for her money."

Khandi chuckled. "What can I do for you, Sam?"

"I'm looking for my costume."

"Oh, right. It's right here." she said. She picked up the box from behind the door and handed it to Sam.

"My costume's in here?" he asked. "What the hell is it?"

"Just go and get dressed, Sam. We're leaving soon."

Sam nodded reluctantly and walked off down the hall.

* * *

Everyone was in the living room. They were all waiting on Sam when they heard him yelling. "Is this some kind of joke?" he asked as he appeared in the living room holding his costume in his hand.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Khandi asked, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"You can not seriously want me to wear this thing."

Cosmo was sitting on the couch and laughing his ass off. "I can not believe you got Sammy that yellow bird costume. It even looks like the same one he wore years ago."

"What's going on here?" Casandra asked curiously.

Jim was sitting in his recliner. Katie, who was dressed as an angel the same as her cousin Zoey, was sitting on his lap. "Well, Cosmo told us a story a while back about how Sam went undercover dressed as a big yellow bird. So Khandi and I thought it would be funny if we got him the same costume."

Everyone was laughing now, with the exception of Sam. "I am not wearing this bird costume." he stated firmly and looked over at Casandra. "And you're not going out like that either."

Casandra, who was now full on laughing, walked over to Sam. "Tell you what. I'll make you a deal. If you wear this bird costume, I'll go and change."

Sam thought about it for a minute. He really didn't want to go out dressed as a bird, but he also didn't want his wife leaving the house with her pregnant belly painted like a pumpkin either.

He sighed and looked down at her. "Okay. Deal." he said and left the room.

"You're not really gonna change are you?" Stacey asked. "It took me forever to paint that on your belly."

"No, I'm not changing. I just want to see Sam in that bird costume."

* * *

A few minutes later Sam reappeared in the living room wearing the bright yellow bird costume, except for the head, which he was carrying under his arm. "Okay, I'm ready." he said and looked at Casandra. "Now go and change so we can all go."

"Sorry, honey. No time. The kids really wanna get going." Casandra replied as she made her way to the door.

"Hey, wait a minute..."

Cosmo stopped beside Sam as everyone was making their way to the door and clapped him on the back. "I figured you be used to it by now, Sammy. The women in this family always get their own way."

They made their way out the door as they heard a scream. "Ahhh, stop it."

They looked out on the front lawn and saw Jim chasing Khandi. "I vant to suck your blood." he called after her in a Transylvanian accent.

"No way!" she yelled and tried to maneuver around him. "Just because I'm a nurse doesn't mean I give blood freely."

Sam and Cosmo laughed at the scene as they made their way to the group at the end of the driveway.

"Okay, so where are we starting?" Stacey asked as Jim and Khandi finally joined them.

"I figured we'd do our neighborhood and then see how the kids are after that." Khandi replied.

"Great." Cosmo stated. "I got the garbage bags, let's go get the candy."

He started off down the street with the boys running behind him. Stacey and Khandi were pushing the girls in their strollers.

"Hey, Cos, give me one of those bags. You're not getting all the candy for yourself." Casandra said and made her way after the group.

* * *

An hour later The Cavalry had covered a quarter of their neighborhood. Cosmo and Casandra had a good portion of their garbage bags filled and now were trying to make trades as they walked to the next house.

"Okay, I'll give you an Oh! Henry and a bag of Cheetos for a peanut butter cup." Cosmo said looking into Casandra's bag.

"Hell no! I'm not giving up this peanut butter cup for anything." Casandra said as she tried to beat the group of kids to the front door.

"Aunty Cassy, no pushing!" Little Jimmy cried.

"Sorry, Little Trooper. I just wanna see what they got." she replied as she made it to the front door. The woman dropped a full sized Kit Kat into her bag. Casandra smiled and turned to look at Cosmo. "Hey, Cos, they got full sized chocolate bars here."

Cosmo pushed through the crowd of kids and ended up stepping on Noah. "Oww, daddy, you hurt my foot!" Noah cried as Stacey ran over to him.

"Cosmo! You big jerk! Stop bullying your way through the kids."

After Cosmo got his chocolate bar he came back and bent down to Noah's level. "I'm sorry buddy. Daddy didn't mean to step on you." he said and pulled Noah into a hug. "Come on, big guy, let's go get your candy."

Jim and Khandi were keeping an eye on their little brood and waited for Casandra and Cosmo to finish before they eventually made their way to the door.

Sam on the other hand, hung back on the side walk. It was humiliating enough that he had been conned into wearing the bird costume but he'd be damned if he was actually going up to the doors.

"Okay, let's hit a few more houses and then see what the kids want to do." Khandi said.

* * *

After three hours the kids had finally gotten their fill of trick or treating, so The Cavalry decided to take them to the crime lab for a visit.

The large group made their way into the building as Nick was walking down the hall. The first thing Nick noticed among the group was the giant yellow bird. "Hey, it's Big Bird!" he laughed.

"Unca Nick!" Little Sammy yelled and ran for him.

Sam pulled his bird head off and glared at Nick. "Not amusing, Stokes."

Nick saw the little red devil running at him and caught him before he fell on his face. "Hey, Sammy!" Nick said, trying to ignore Sam's glare. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Got lots a candy." Little Sammy replied.

The rest of the group made their way over to Nick. He looked at Little Sammy again and then saw Noah. "So, you're dressing these guys according to their personalities, huh?" Nick chuckled as Greg made his way down the hall.

He stopped when he noticed Casandra's belly. He bent down and placed his finger on her belly button that was sticking out. He looked up at her and smiled. "If I press this, will you light up?"

Casandra laughed and playfully slapped his hand away. "Nice one, Greg."

Greg stood up and looked at the rest of the group. "Man, what you guys won't do for your kids."

Little Jimmy noticed Grissom walking out of the lab and ran after him. "Uncle Gil!" he yelled.

Grissom turned around just in time to catch Little Jimmy who jumped up in his arms. "Hi, Jimmy. What are you doing here?"

"Can I see the little pig, Uncle Gil?" Little Jimmy asked, ignoring Grissom's question.

"Okay, but we have to tell your mom and dad first."

"Okay, Uncle Gil." Little Jimmy said and jumped down from his arms. He took off down the hall. "Daddy! Mommy! I'm gonna see Uncle Gil's pig!"

Jim walked down the hall when he heard Little Jimmy yelling. "Hey, what's all the trouble, big guy?" Jim asked as Little Jimmy ran over to him.

Grissom walked up behind him. "He wants to see my little fetal pig but I told him we had to tell you first."

"Can I see the pig, daddy?"

Jim looked down at Little Jimmy. "Okay, buddy. You can go see the pig."

"Yay. Come on Uncle Gil." Little Jimmy said as he pulled on Grissom's hand.

"Where's Little Jimmy going?" Khandi asked as she walked up beside Jim.

"To see Miss Piggy." Jim replied.

Khandi smiled. "Ah, right. I should have known." she said as she and Jim walked back to the group.

"Hey guys we got some candy in the break room. You wanna come get some?" Greg asked the kids.

"Yeah!" Little Sammy yelled.

"Yay, candy!" Noah added and he and Little Sammy followed Greg down the hall. Along with Stacey and the girls.

Khandi looked over at Cosmo and Casandra. "You two aren't going after free candy?" Khandi asked shocked.

"Where's the free candy?" Cosmo asked. He had obviously not been paying attention.

"In the break..." Khandi started say and Cosmo took off before she could finish. "... room."

"Don't take all the good stuff, Cosmo!" Casandra yelled as she waddled after him.

Khandi followed after them. "Don't you dare take any of that candy from the kids."

Sam sat down on one of the chairs in the hallway and sighed. "Appreciate you two sticking me with this bird costume." he growled.

Jim sat down next to him. "Come on, Sam, admit it. You had fun tonight."

Sam looked at Jim for a minute and then a smile graced his face. "Yeah, I did. Just think, this time next year I'll be doing this with my own kids."

Jim smiled back at Sam. "Yeah bet you can't wait."

"No, I can't. But next year I get to pick my own costume."

All Jim could do was laugh.

* * *

Little Jimmy was fascinated by the little fetal pig as Catherine made her way into Grissom's office. Before she could say anything she noticed him sitting behind his desk with Little Jimmy on his lap.

She smiled at the cute scene and then noticed Little Jimmy's costume. "Did we get a new rookie?"

Little Jimmy looked up at the sound of her voice. "Hi Aunty Cath. I'm looking at Uncle Gil's pig."

She walked around the desk and knelt down beside the chair. "I can see that."

"Uncle Gil said everyone calls her Miss Piggy." Little Jimmy smiled.

Catherine smiled back at the adorable little boy, who she noticed was looking more and more like his father everyday. "We sure do. Has Uncle Gil showed you his tarantula yet?"

Little Jimmy nodded his head. "Yeah. I got to hold him too. He's really fuzzy." Grissom and Catherine laughed as Little Jimmy jumped off of Grissom's lap. "I wanna go see Mommy and Daddy now."

"Okay, buddy. Let's go." Grissom said and took Little Jimmy's hand.

"Thank you for letting me see Miss Piggy, Uncle Gil."

Grissom looked at Catherine who was grinning at him. Then he looked down at Little Jimmy. "You're welcome, Jimmy." he replied a little surprised at the little boy's politeness. "Okay, let's go find your Mommy and Daddy."

**TBC...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The Cavalry finally made it home after a full night of trick or treating. The kids had all fell asleep in the car so the adults had the task of carrying them all into the house.

Jim had Little Jimmy, while Khandi had Little Sammy and Cosmo carried Noah. Stacey and Sam took care of the girls and Casandra took over the task of carrying the bags of candy into the house.

Once they all got the kids situated in their beds, the adults spent some time taking their respective costumes off. For the first time that night, Sam was actually happy about the costume he had worn. No makeup or paint to remove.

Casandra had the unfortunate task of taking a shower to remove all the bright orange paint from her enormous belly.

She spent over an hour under the water until she was satisfied that all the paint had been removed. When she fnally emerged from the bathroom, Sam was already snoring under the covers on their bed.

She smiled at him and laid down next to him to try and get some sleep.

* * *

Jim and Khandi had gone to bed and Stacey was laying down with Zoey who had woken up and started fussing.

Cosmo decided to head to the living room with his bag of Halloween candy and watch the horror movie marathon that was playing on the movie channel.

He sat down on the floor and leaned against the front of the couch. Once he was comfortable enough, he dumped his candy out onto the floor in front of him and started to sort through it.

Once he had everything sorted into the appropriate groups, he switched on the TV and settled in to watch the first movie. Which just happened to be the classic movie _The Exorcist_.

* * *

Casandra kept tossing and turning and just couldn't get comfortable. So after two hours of this, she decided to just get up and move around the house.

As she made her way up the stairs she could hear noises coming from the living room. She made her way down the hall and noticed Cosmo sitting on the floor surrounded with candy and a number of empty wrappers.

"What are you doing up?" Casandra asked.

"Watching movies and eating candy." Cosmo replied. "Wanna join me?"

Casandra shrugged. "Might as well. These two aren't letting me get any sleep." she said and walked over to Cosmo. He stood up and helped her sit down on the floor. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"So, what movie are we watching?"

"Just finished watching _The Exorcist. _Now _The Shining's _coming on."

"The Nicholson version or the shitty remake?"

"Nicholson's of course. In my opinion it's the only one worth watching."

"Wow, Cos, you actually have some taste." Casandra smiled as the movie started on the TV. "Pass me one of those Eat Mores."

Cosmo handed her the chocolate bar and then picked one up for himself.

* * *

An hour and a half later they were half way through the movie, and the candy, but they were far from bored with it.

"Oh, those twins creep the shit out of me." Cosmo stated.

"The twins? What about that scary old hag in the bathtub?"

Cosmo shuddered. "Yeah and poor Jack had to make out with that thing."

"Yeah well I guess he had to get it from somewhere. I don't think he's getting any from Olive Oil there."

Cosmo laughed. "The funny thing about that is, is that Shelley Duvall actually played Olive Oil in the Popeye movie."

Casandra laughed and reached for the last peanut butter cup just as Cosmo did. "Hey! Drop it Cos!"

"You drop it. I never had one of these yet."

"I'm a seriously pregnant woman here, Cosmo. Do you really wanna fight me for this peanut butter cup?"

Cosmo let it go and reached for a bag of Cheetos. "Man, you women always get your own way. Just because you're capable of carrying a baby."

"And don't forget it, Cos." Casandra said and turned her head back toward the TV. "Oh, this part's the best."

On the TV it showed: _Jack going after Wendy on the staircase as she was swinging a baseball bat at him. "Stay away from me." _

_ "Why?" Jack asked Wendy on the TV._

_ "I just wanna go back to my room."_

_ "Why?"_

_ "Well, I'm very confused and I just need time to think things over."_

Cosmo and Casandra's attention was riveted to the TV screen as Jack continued after Wendy.

_"You've had your whole _FUCKING LIFE _to think things over. What good's a few more minutes gonna do you now?"_

_ "Please! Don't hurt me!"_

_ "I'm not gonna hurt you!"_

_ "Stay away from me!"_

_ "Wendy? Darling? Light of my life! I'm not gonna hurt you. You didn't let me finish my sentence. I said, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna bash your brains in! Gonna bash them right the fuck in!" He ranted and laughed maniacally._

_ "Stay away from me! Don't hurt me!"_

_ "I'm not gonna hurt you." Jack stated sarcastically._

_ "Stay away! Stop it!" Wendy said swinging the bat at Jack._

_ "Stop swinging the bat, Wendy. Put the bat down, Wendy. Wendy? Give me the bat..." he said as he lunged for her and Wendy hit him with the bat and he went falling backwards down the stairs._

Casandra looked over at Cosmo. "Best scene ever!"

"Oh yeah, you got that right. Nicholson has got to be one of the best actors of all time."

"No arguments here." Casandra agreed.

Two hours later _The Shining _was over and _Psycho _was now playing on the TV screen. But Cosmo and Casandra weren't paying attention to it. They were passed out on the floor with empty wrappers strewned all around them.

* * *

The next morning Cosmo rolled over onto his side when he felt something wet underneath him. "Uh, Stace, I think you peed the bed." he mumbled.

Casandra all of a sudden was startled awake and she started to scream. "ARGHHHHH!"

Cosmo bolted upright and looked over at Casandra. "What's going on?" he asked as the other members, except for the kids, of the house came running into the living room.

"Arghhh, my water broke. I'm in labor!"

"Oh my God! The babies are coming!" Sam yelled and started running around the house. "I gotta find my keys and get your bag and pull the car around..." he ranted as he ran out of the room.

Jim looked at Khandi and Stacey. "Calm him down, please. We don't need him running around here in hysterics." Jim said and walked over to Casandra. He knelt down in front of her. "Cas, I have to lift your night dress up to take a look, okay?"

"Arghh, Jimmy, do whatever you want! Just get these babies out of me!"

Jim lifted up her night dress as Cosmo looked down at the floor. "Aww, Cassy, you ruined the rest of the candy!" he whined.

"Fuck the candy, Cosmo! I got two babies trying to burst their way out of me right now!"

"Okay, Cas, one of the babies is starting to crown. You're gonna have to start pushing okay. On three. One, two, three."

Casandra bared down and started to push. Stacey ran to her side and held her hand. "Okay, Cassy, come on you can do this."

At that moment, Sam ran back into the room. "I can't find my keys or anything else. We have to get Casandra to the hospital."

Khandi took this moment to grab Sam by his shoulders and slap him across the face. "Snap out of it, Sammy. Cas is in labor and Jimmy's delivering your babies. Now you get over there and support your wife. Right now!"

Sam shook his head, shocked that Khandi had actually slapped him. But it only took a second before he was at Casandra's side. "Come on, honey, keep pushing."

"Okay, the head's almost out." Jim announced. "Cosmo, go get some clean towels and Khandi grab the turkey baster out of the kitchen."

Casandra stopped pushing and stared at her brother-in-law. "A turkey baster? What the hell am I giving birth to? A baby or a butterball?"

"It's to clean the mucus out of their nose and mouths. So they'll be able to breath properly." Jim replied as Cosmo and Khandi ran back into the living room.

"Okay here's the towels." Cosmo said and laid the clean white towels down on the floor.

"Not the good towels, Cosmo." Stacey yelled.

"Forget about it." Jim said. "We'll buy more. Okay, Cas, one more big push and your first baby will be here."

Casandra pushed as hard as she could until she heard the shrill wail of her first born crying.

"It's a boy!" Jim announced as he laid him on the towel and Khandi used the turkey baster to clear out all his mucus. "Okay, Cas, just relax for a few minutes and then we'll concentrate on getting your daughter here."

Khandi wrapped the little boy in the towel and handed him to Sam. "He's beautiful."

Sam looked down at his son and tears started to slip down his cheeks. "He's perfect." Sam said and looked at Casandra. "Thank you."

Casandra smiled at Sam and then screamed. "Arghhh, a few minutes my ass, Jimmy. She wants out now!"

Jim knelt back down in front of Casandra and lifted her night dress again. "Okay, ready? And push."

"Arghhhhhh!"

"I can see the top of her head." Jim said. "Keep pushing Cassy."

Casandra pushed for a few more seconds and had to stop. "Ahhh, I can't do this anymore." she said exhausted.

"Yes you can sweetheart." Sam said. "Come on, he needs his little sister."

That was all the motivation Casandra needed as she started to push again.

"Okay, Cas, her head's out now. Give me another big push and once her shoulders are out you're done." Casandra pushed with all her might and the little girl slid right out. "Okay, she's here!"

Khandi, Stacey and Cosmo smiled as Khandi used the turkey baster to clear the mucus out just like she did for the little boy. Then she wrapped her in a towel and handed her to Casandra.

"Congratulations, they're beautiful."

Casandra and Sam were both crying as they held their newborn son and daughter.

"Have you decided on any names yet?" Stacey asked.

Casandra wiped her eyes and nodded. "Shawn Michael Gerard for the boy..."

"Like after the wrestler?" Cosmo asked.

"No Cosmo. Not after the wrestler. Shawn is just a name we both like and Michael for Sam's father."

"And the girl?" Khandi asked.

"Mackenzie Lynn Gerard."

Sam looked down at Casandra. "Honey, are you sure?"

Casandra looked up at Sam. "Sam, we've talked about this six times now. Yes. It's my way of honoring her memory."

"I know, sweetheart. I just wanted to make sure you were absolutely certain about it."

"I am."

Jim walked back into the room. "I just called an ambulance. They should be here soon."

Sam looked up at Jim. "Thanks for taking charge here, Jim. I don't think I could've done it."

"Hey, it was an honor Sam." Jim smiled. "Now when they're older you can tell them the story of when their Uncle Jim delivered them."

Everyone laughed at the proud grin on Jim's face.

A few minutes later the ambulance finally arrived and the paramedics loaded Casandra, Sam and the babies into the back of the bus.

Jim and Stacey had decided to stay home with the kids and to clean up the mess in the living room, so Khandi and Cosmo, after grabbing Casandra's bag and putting the car seats into the car, left for the hospital.

* * *

Once the bus arrived at the hospital they wheeled Casandra and the babies in to have them thoroughly checked out.

Khandi, carrying a bag for Casandra, and Cosmo arrived a few minutes later. They made their way into the hospital and up to the maternity ward. They found Sam sitting in the waiting room.

"Sammy, how are they doing?" Cosmo asked and took a seat across from Sam.

"The doctor's checking them out now."

"How are you doing?" Khandi asked, sitting down next to him.

"A little overwhelmed."

Khandi smiled. "Well, that's to be expected. Considering your children just made an unexpected entrance."

Just then the doctor came out into the waiting room. "Mr. Gerard?" he asked.

Sam stood up and looked at the doctor. "How are they?"

The doctor smiled. "Mother and babies are doing fine. Whoever delivered them, did a fine job."

Khandi smiled and placed her hand on Sam's shoulder. "That would be my brother-in-law. He took charge like a pro."

"Well, you can thank him. Because of his quick thinking and obvious know how, they came through without any complications."

Sam let out a sigh of relief. "Can I see them?"

"Of course. Just follow me."

Sam, Khandi and Cosmo followed the doctor down the hall and he showed them into Casandra's room. She was sitting on the bed, in a hospital gown, trying to breastfeed Shawn.

Sam walked over to the bed and looked down at his son. "How's he doing?"

"I can't seem to get him to latch on."

The doctor stepped forward. "I'll send a nurse in to help you out."

Casandra looked up at the doctor. "Thank you." He smiled, nodded and left the room.

Khandi walked over to the bed and placed the bag down. "I brought the bag that Sam had packed for you. Do you know how long you have to stay here?"

"The doctor said since there's no complications with either me or the babies, he can't see why I can't go home this afternoon."

Sam furrowed his brow. "That's a little soon, isn't it?"

Casandra shook her head. "Not really. Usually these days if there's nothing wrong they don't keep you in very long."

"Or in your case, at all." Cosmo commented.

Casandra smiled at Cosmo as the nurse came into the room. "So, I hear someone's having trouble breastfeeding?"

"Yeah, I can't get him to latch on."

"Are you set on breastfeeding?"

"Well, isn't it healthier for the babies?" Sam asked.

"It is." the nurse replied and looked back at Casandra. "But you can always pump the milk out and bottle feed it to them. Trust me with twins I think that would be the best route to go. That way you can each feed one."

"Okay, that makes sense." Casandra agreed.

"Great." the nurse said. "I'll go get two bottles and you can feed them before you're discharged."

"Thank you."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

Khandi walked over to the infant bed and looked down at Mackenzie. She touched her little hand and Mackenzie wrapped her little fingers around Khandi's index. Just from that simple touch, Khandi's heart melted. "She's really beautiful."

Sam walked up beside her and looked down at his daughter. "Just like her mama." he replied.

Casandra smiled. "Can someone take Shawn? I want to take a shower, get out of this hospital gown and into some clean clothes."

Cosmo moved up to her. "I can take him." he said. Casandra handed Shawn to Cosmo and headed for the bathroom. "Hey, little guy. I'm your Uncle Cosmo."

Khandi looked at Cosmo and then at Sam. "I think Cosmo's getting soft on us."

"Come on, who doesn't melt around a baby?" Cosmo asked. He made faces at Shawn, who let out a noise that sounded similar to a laugh. "Hey, did you hear that? He laughed at me."

"Well, he's not the first person to laugh at you Cosmo." Sam remarked.

"Besides Cosmo, I don't believe that was a laugh. He's only a few hours old. There's no way he can laugh." Khandi added.

"Say what you will. But I believe he laughed."

Sam rolled his eyes and walked over to Casandra's bag. He opened it and pulled out the clothes he had packed for her. He placed her jeans, sweater and under garments on the bed.

Khandi picked Mackenzie up and walked over to Sam. "You packed her pre-pregnancy clothes? You know they're not gonna fit her right?"

"Worth a shot. I packed some maternity clothes too, just in case."

Just then Casandra opened the door a crack and poked her head out. "Sam, can you hand me my clothes, please." Sam picked the clothes up off the bed and handed them to her through the crack in the door. "Thank you." she said and looked down at the clothes in her hand. "Uh, I'm not sure these are gonna fit." She shut the door anyway to try on the clothes. A few minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. "Well, what do you know. They totally fit."

Khandi was looking down at Mackenzie and her head snapped up when she heard Casandra. "You have got to be kidding me. You can not be back to your normal weight."

"Well, sorry to say but it looks like I am."

Khandi shook her head in disgust. "That is just not fair. I had to work my butt off, literally, to get back to my pre-baby weight."

Casandra smirked, she knew Khandi was irked. "Guess we're just built differently." she replied and took Mackenzie from her. She looked down at her daughter. "Right, sweetheart? Yes we are, yes we are." she cooed.

"I'll go see if the discharge papers are ready." Sam said, leaving the room.

Khandi looked up toward the ceiling. "This is just some big cosmic joke isn't it?"

Cosmo, who had been giving all his attention to Shawn, looked up. "What did I do?"

Khandi rolled her eyes. "I said, _cosmic_ not Cosmo. Not everything is about you."

Sam came back a few minutes later with the discharge papers. "All set. I got the papers, all you have to do is sign them."

Casandra handed Mackenzie back to Khandi and took the clipboard from Sam. She scribbled her signature at the bottom and gave it back to Sam.

As he was leaving the room again he turned around suddenly. "We forgot the car seats."

"Great, how are we..." Casandra started.

"No worries." Khandi interrupted. "Cosmo and I put them in the car before we left. Come on, Sam I'll walk out with you and we can go down and get them."

Khandi handed Mackenzie back to Casandra and followed Sam out

* * *

Jim had just finished scrubbing th stain out of the carpet as Stacey had just finished getting breakfast for the kids.

She walked into the living room and looked at Jim. "How's it coming?"

"All finished." he replied as he pulled the rubber gloves off. "Were the kids any trouble?"

"Nah. All I have to do is set some food down in front of them and they're happy. Especially Noah. I swear he has the same eating habits as Cosmo."

"Well, like father like son." Jim smirked.

"Yeah, especially when he gets a hold of a corn on the cob. I didn't think a love of corn was hereditary."

Jim laughed and picked up the bucket of soapy water. "Could be worse, he could be a picky eater."

"Yeah that's true. I guess I should be glad he has a healthy appetite." Stacey replied and followed Jim in to the kitchen. "By the way, you were pretty great this morning."

"Thanks. But I just did what had to be done."

"Come on, Jimmy, don't be modest. You took charge like an old pro. I could swear you've done that before."

Jim sighed and looked away. "I have."

Stacey looked at Jim surprised. "You have? When?"

Jim placed the bucket in the sink and then poured himself a cup of coffee. "It was over twenty-five years ago. Back when I lived in Jersey. A huge blizzard had slapped down in Newark and we got snowed in. That's when my daughter Ellie decided she wanted to be born. It was a lot more difficult back then. I was young, inexperienced, we had no way to get anywhere and we had lost the power. I had to deliver Ellie by candlelight."

"How come I haven't met her?" Stacey asked curiously.

"She's not too fond of me."

"How could she not be?"

"I wasn't exactly there for her." Jim replied and looked away from Stacey.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not the whole story."

Jim sighed and his shoulders slumped. "I'm not Ellie's biological father. My ex-wife cheated on me and ended up getting pregnant. But from the first moment I held her, she was mine."

Stacey smiled. She already knew that Jim was a good and decent man but hearing this gave her an even greater perspective on her brother-in-law and a lot more respect. "Do you know who her...?"

"Biological father is?" Jim finished. "Yeah. Mike O'Toole."

Stacey gasped. "You mean the bastard that..."

"The very same."

"Does Khandi know?"

Jim nodded. "Yeah. She knew everthing before we got married and before..." Jim swallowed the lump in his throat. He hated thinking about that time in their lives.

"What about Ellie?" Stacey asked after seeing that Jim had composed himself.

Jim shook his head. "No. And I want to keep it that way."

"I can understand why. I'm just glad that bastard got what he deserved."

Before Jim could answer they heard Little Jimmy yelling. "Daddy! Sammy spilled his milk."

Stacey placed a comforting hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'll handle it."

* * *

Khandi pulled the car into the driveway, parked and shut off the engine. She got out and opened the back door for Sam as Cosmo did the same for Casandra.

Khandi took Casandra's bag as Casandra and Sam carried the car seats. They made their way into the house when they heard footsteps running toward them.

Little Jimmy stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at them. "Did you bring the babies?" he asked excitedly.

Casandra smiled up at her nephew. "Of course we did silly." she replied and made her way up the stairs as Sam followed her. "Let's go into the living room and you can see them, okay?"

"Cool!" Little Jimmy yelled, using one of his favorite words.

Casandra and Sam made their way into the living room with Shawn and Mackenzie as Khandi and Cosmo made their way up the stairs.

Casandra looked around. "Wow, you'd never know that I gave birth in here at all."

"Were you able to salvage any of the candy?" Cosmo asked as he sat down on the couch.

Jim chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, Cos, there were no survivors. I had to throw it all out."

"Damn. Oh well, I'll just nick some stuff from the kids later."

"No you will not!" Stacey scolded as she walked into the living room. "You had yours."

"But Cassy..."

"No buts Cosmo. And do not blame poor Cassy. She just gave birth to twins for God's sake."

Cosmo looked at his wife and then slumped down on the couch and pouted. "Geeze Cosmo, you're a grown man. Suck it up." Khandi stated.

Little Jimmy sat between the two car seats as Noah and Sammy came running into the living room. "Babies!" they yelled.

Noah and Sammy were about to grab the babies but before any of the adults could step in Little Jimmy scolded his brother and cousin. "NO! Be gentle."

The adults just looked at Little Jimmy in complete disbelief. "Jimmy, where did you learn that?" Khandi asked, amused with her oldest child.

Little Jimmy looked up at his Mom. "You and Daddy." he said simply.

Khandi looked at her husband and smiled. He smiled back and then ruffled Little Jimmy's hair. "Good job buddy."

The Calvary all sat around the living room and watched the older kids play with the brand new additions to the family. Happy, that for the moment, everything was peaceful in their lives.

**TBC...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

_**A/N: There's now a crossover with NYPD Blue. **_

**//Six Months Later//**

Nick rolled up to the crime scene and stepped out of the SUV. He grabbed his crime scene kit and made his way over to the body. "What have we got here?" he asked.

Jim turned at the sound of his voice. "Hey, Nicky. Female, caucasian. She's got no ID."

Nick knelt down beside the body. "She looks familiar."

"Yeah, I got that feeling too." Jim replied. "I just can't place where I've seen her before."

"You working solo, Jim?"

Jim smirked. "Yeah, Nick. You just gotta put up with me this morning."

Nick smiled and shook his head. Then he looked over at David. " Hey, Super Dave, you got a COD?"

"She was strangled. See the ligature mark around her neck." David replied.

"Any sign of sexual assault?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, there's bruising and tearing. Can we take her now?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll meet you in autopsy." Nick replied.

David placed the dead woman into a body bag and took her away. Nick looked around the scene. "There's no sign of a struggle or anything."

Jim nodded. "Yeah, this isn't our primary crime scene. She was killed somewhere else and dumped here."

"Right. But look around. There's no tire tracks, no footprints. Nothing. It was like she was dropped from the sky."

"Now come on, Nick. You're not going to be going all space abduction on me are you? Because if you are, maybe you should be working this case with Cosmo."

Nick smirked. "No, Jim, I'm not. I was just pointing out that with no evidence at all, this case is going to be a real bitch. By the way, who called it in?"

"Delivery man making his rounds. Stopped to put some papers in the machine on the street and noticed the body."

"Okay, I'm gonna head in for the autopsy. I'll get her prints and see if we can get an ID."

"Sounds good. I'll catch up with you later."

* * *

Across town Khandi and Casandra were pulling up to another crime scene. "Hey, Cath. What have we got here?" Khandi asked.

"Female. Caucasian. She was raped and strangled." Catherine replied.

"Do we know who she is?" Casandra asked.

"No ID on her. We'll print her and see what it turns up."

Khandi looked around the scene. "No sign of a struggle. She was dumped here."

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

"Who called it in?" Casandra asked.

"Truck driver." Catherine replied and pointed to the black man talking to a uniform. "He happened to notice her when he stopped to let a deer cross the road."

"Okay, thanks Catherine. We'll talk to him." Khandi said.

"Let us know when you get her prints okay?" Casandra added.

"You got it."

Khandi and Casandra walked over to the truck driver. "Excuse me?" Khandi asked.

The man turned toward her voice. "Yeah?"

"I'm Detective Brass. This is Detective Gerard. And you are?"

"Calvin Parker."

"Can you tell us how you discovered the body Mr. Parker?" Casandra asked.

"Like I told the Officer I was driving along, when a deer ran out in front of my truck. I slammed on my brakes and veered to the right just missing it. As I was collecting myself I happened to look over and saw her lying there. I got out of my truck and walked over to see if she was okay. When I noticed she was dead, I called 911 right away."

"Okay. The Officer has all your information in case we have to speak with you again?" Khandi asked.

"Yeah. He wrote it all down."

"Great. Thank you for your time, Mr. Parker." Casandra said.

"Sure thing. That poor girl. I hope you catch whoever did it."

"So do we."

* * *

Grissom was knelt down over the body of another dead woman. Sam and Cosmo got out of the truck and made their way over to him. "Morning, Gil." Sam said.

"Good morning, Sam. Cosmo." Grissom replied.

"Hey." Cosmo said. "What have you got for us?"

"Caucasian, female. Raped and strangled."

Sam looked down at the woman and his face went deathly pale. "Oh my God." he gasped.

Grissom looked up at Sam. "You okay, Sam?"

Sam collected himself and looked at Grissom. "Yeah, I'm fine. She looks like someone I know. Any idea who she is?" Sam asked.

Grissom shook his head. "No ID. But we'll get her prints."

"Who called it in?" Cosmo asked.

"A woman walking her dog."

Sam looked over and saw the middle aged woman holding her little dog. "Okay, we'll talk with her." Sam said and he and Cosmo made their way over to her. "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Detective Gerard, this is Detective Renfro. Can you tell us how you found her."

"I was taking Angel for her morning walk when she started barking and clawing at something. I tried to pull her away but then I noticed that poor girl laying there. So, I picked Angel up and I called 911."

"And you didn't see anyone suspicious around or running away from the scene?" Cosmo asked.

"No. There was no one around."

"Okay, thank you ma'am. Just give all your information to this Officer here." Sam replied.

"Okay."

"Sammy, did you know the dead girl?" Cosmo asked as they walked back to the truck.

"No. Why would I know her?"

"You told Gil she looks like someone you know."

"You didn't notice the resemblance Cosmo?"

Cosmo paused with his hand on the passengers side door. "Resemblance to who?

Sam climbed into the truck. "That dead woman looks just like Casandra."

* * *

Jim walked into the breakroom with his LVPD coffee cup in hand. As he was pouring his coffee Khandi made her way into the room. "Hey." she said.

"Hey, yourself." Jim replied and took a sip of his coffee. "So, what did you and Cas get this morning?"

"Dead woman. Raped and strangled."

"You're kidding? I got the same thing."

Khandi shook her head. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence. I mean I was clear on the other side of town."

"Wouldn't be the first time two victims were connected."

"Yeah but dumped in different parts of town."

"That could be just to throw us off."

Khandi stared at her husband. "You really think it's the same killer?"

"Not a hundred percent. But we could work it that way until it's proven otherwise."

"Alright. I'll talk to Casandra. You can fill Sam and Cosmo in."

"Right. And if for some reason it is the same killer. We'll branch out and see if there's any similar M.O.'s elsewhere."

Khandi nodded and kissed Jim. "We'll all meet up in the bullpen."

* * *

Jim left the breakroom with his coffee cup still in hand and made his way down the hall. Just as he rounded the corner he noticed Sam and Cosmo making their way into the building.

"Just the guys I was looking for." Jim called out.

"Whatever happened we didn't do it." Cosmo replied.

"Well, given the circumstances I would hope not Cos." Jim stated. "We got two women found in different parts of town, both raped and strangled. I want to work an angle that it could be the same killer."

Sam and Cosmo stared at each other. "Uh, Jim, we just came from a crime scene where a woman was raped and strangled." Cosmo informed him.

"Son of a bitch!" Jim cursed. "Okay, let's get to the bullpen and we'll all compare cases. Then see where forensics is at."

* * *

The Cavalry met up in their bullpen, along with Nick, Catherine and Grissom. "So, what did you get with the autopsies?" Casandra asked.

"Well, all three women were raped and strangled." Catherine reported. "We examined the ligature marks and they're identical. I think Jim's right. I think we're dealing with the same killer."

Sam was sitting at the table staring at the three crime scene photos. What he was looking at shook him to his very core. He looked at the victim from his and Cosmo's crime scene again and then compared her with the other two. They all looked similar in appearance and they all looked just like Casandra.

Khandi looked over at Sam and noticed the grim expression on his face. "You alright Sam?"

Sam snapped out of his stupor and looked up at Khandi. "Um, yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look _fine_, Sam. You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I said I'm fine. Let's drop it okay." Sam snapped. He didn't want to mention the resemblance to anyone else unless it turned out to be relevent to the case.

"Hey, Sammy, take it easy. She just asked if you were okay" Jim said.

"Sorry. Let's just move on. I'm okay."

"What was the TOD?" Cosmo asked, getting back to the topic of the case.

"The victim from my crime scene was killed five days ago." Catherine replied.

"Mine has a TOD of two and half days." Grissom stated.

"Yeah, and mine was within the last twenty-four hours." Nick added.

"So, he held the woman from our crime scene for five days before he dumped her?" Casandra asked.

"It looks that way." Catherine replied. "It seems as though he kept her while he raped and strangled the second woman and then kept her for two days while he raped and strangled the third woman. Then dumped them in different locations on the same night."

"You think the different locations was to throw us off?" Khandi asked.

"It could be." Jim replied. "I'm going to input this info into VICAP and see if we come up with any hits anywhere else. If we're dealing with a serial killer chances are these aren't his first victims."

**//New York City//**

Sergeant Andy Sipowicz was sitting behind his desk in the office that he called home now for the last five years. It had taken him awhile to get used to being a boss, something that he didn't even aspire to become, but being in charge of the squad where he spent twenty years of his life as a detective felt right somehow.

Andy was going through the paperwork on his desk when a memo caught his eye. He lifted up the piece of paper and read it carefully. It was from the Las Vegas Police Department, sent out through VICAP, looking for similar victims that could be connected to the three women that had been found in Las Vegas.

He shook his head. Reading about these homicides was like reading the case files on each of the five victims that had turned up dead under the same circumstances a month ago.

He looked at the contact info at the bottom of the memo and started dialing. After fifteen minutes and getting no answer from the first three he began to dial the fourth.

After four rings a woman answered. "Gerard." Casandra answered.

"Yeah, this is Sergeant Andy Sipowicz. I'm in charge of the 15th Squad in Manhattan."

"How can I help you, Sergeant?"

"I got a memo here that was issued from your department through VICAP. I may have some victims out my way here that fit the pattern."

"Really? Well, just send the case files out our way and we'll handle the rest." Casandra said and hung up.

"Now wait just..." Andy started to say when he realized he was talking to a dial tone. He slammed the receiver down and stood up from his desk. "Hey, Junior, can you come in here for a minute?"

Detective John Clark Jr. looked back over his shoulder when he heard Andy's voice. "Yeah." he replied and made his way into Andy's office. "What's going on?"

Andy shut the door and turned to face John. "I just got a memo from Las Vegas that they have three victims out there that seem to fit the pattern of the five we have here."

"So our guy has made his way West."

"It looks that way."

"Okay, so what are we gonna do?"

"I just got off the phone with some pushy broad out there. Told me to send them our case files and they'll handle the rest."

"You're not going to do that are you?"

"John, how long have you known me?"

"Long enough to be able to answer that question myself." John smirked.

"Right. As much as I'm gonna hate this, we have to take a trip to Vegas."

"We?"

"Yeah, I want you to come with me. These are your cases and you should be involved."

"Okay, when do we leave."

"Hopefully, tomorrow. I have to talk to Connie first." Andy replied, referring to his wife of seven years.

"Alright. I can make the arrangements if you want."

Andy sighed. "Yeah go ahead and do that and then get all the case files together. If she wants them, it's gonna be a personal delivery."

* * *

Andy opened the door to his apartment and was met by his six year old son, Matthew, who Andy referred to as Matt. "Daddy!" Matt yelled.

"Hey, squirt." Andy said as he picked him up. "Were you a good boy today."

"Uh huh." Matt nodded. "I drew a picture today, daddy."

"You did, huh? You wanna show daddy?"

"Okay." Matt said.

He jumped out of Andy's arms and took off down the hall as Connie came out of their bedroom. "Hi."

"Hey." Andy gave her a kiss. "Where's Theo and Michelle?" he asked, referring to his fourteen year old son from his second marriage to Assistant District Attorney Sylvia Costas, who had been murdered by a stray bullet in a courthouse shooting when Theo was only three, and his eight year old daughter which was a complicated matter in itself.

"Michelle's reading and Theo's doing his homework. How was work?"

"We may have a connection to those five homicides we caught last month."

"The one's you determined were done by the same guy?" Connie asked as she sat down on the couch.

Andy sat down beside her and sighed. "Yeah. It seems as though he's made his way West. I got a memo from Vegas saying they have three bodies out there."

Before Connie could say anything Matt came running into the living room. "I got my picture daddy."

Connie smiled as Andy put Matt on his lap. "Okay, let's have a look."

Matt started pointing to the picture that he drew of their family. "This is me." he said with a big smile. "That's Michelle and that's Theo. And there's mommy and that's you daddy."

Andy looked up from the picture. "What's that in daddy's hand, Matt?"

"That's your gun, daddy. So you can kill all the bad people."

Andy pulled Matt into a hug and looked over at Connie. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Good job, buddy. That's a great picture."

"Thanks daddy. I'm gonna go play with my trucks now."

Connie stood up from the couch. "I'm gonna check on dinner."

Andy nodded and then followed her into the kitchen. "I have to go to Vegas."

Connie stopped stirring the pot on the stove and looked at Andy. "Why do you have to go out there?"

"Ah, this pushy Lieutenant out there gave me the brush off. Told me to send them our case files and they'll handle the rest."

"Well, then why don't you just send them the case files?"

"Because I'm not gonna let her dictate to me how to do my job. These are our cases and if they want the files, they'll get them from me not some courier."

"You're not gonna let this go are you?"

"No. Not until this asshole's caught."

"When will you be leaving?"

"Junior's making the arrangements. I'm hoping he can get us a flight out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Andy that's kind of short notice."

"I know." he said and placed a hand on Connie's shoulder. "But the sooner we get out there, the sooner we catch this guy and the sooner I'll be home."

"Alright. Do what you have to do." Connie replied. Andy placed a kiss on her forehead. "Can you round the kids up for dinner?"

"Yeah."

An hour and a half later they were just finishing dinner. "Okay, let's help mommy clean up and I need to talk you guys about something." Andy said as they all cleared their plates from the table.

Theo helped Connie load the dishwasher and then made his way into the living room. "What's going on, dad?" Theo asked.

"Okay, sit down here with daddy, guys." Andy said. The three kids sat down on the floor and looked up at their dad. "Daddy has to go away for a little while."

"Why? Are you and mom fighting?" Theo asked as Connie made her way into the room.

"No, sweetheart. Dad and I are fine." Connie smiled and sat down on the couch next to Andy.

"Then why do you have to go away?"

"I'm working on a case and I need to go to Las Vegas to help out the police officers there."

"Why can't they do it, daddy?" Michelle asked.

"Because they need daddy's help. You want daddy to help right?"

"I guess." Michelle pouted.

Andy chuckled. "Hey, daddy will be back before you know it. But I want to make sure that you guys are gonna help mommy while I'm gone."

"I'll help mommy!" Matt yelled.

"That's a good boy." Andy smiled. "And you and Michelle will have to help Theo take care of the fish."

"I can take care of the fish by myself, daddy." Matt said.

"No, squirt. You're still to young to take care of the fish by yourself. But you can help Theo, okay."

"I'll show them how, dad." Theo stated.

Andy smiled at his son. He couldn't believe how grown up he'd become. It seemed like only yesterday that he was reading to him and tucking him in and now Theo was fourteen. He knew if Sylvia was still with them she would be proud of their son and the responsible young man he'd become.

"Thanks buddy. Okay, let's get ready for your baths and then after we'll play a game before you go to bed."

"Yay, I wanna play Candyland." Michelle called out as she ran to her room.

"No, Hungry, Hungry Hippos!" Matt yelled.

"No fighting guys." Connie called out. "Besides, it's Michelle's turn to pick the game."

Andy looked over at Connie. "I guess we'll be playing Candyland."

"Looks that way." Connie smiled.

**//Las Vegas//**

The Cavalry, with the exception of Casandra, were still in the bullpen looking over the three case files. "Okay, so Nick just sent over the print results." Jim reported. "Victim number one from Khandi and Cas' crime scene was a Jill Miller, she was forty and worked as a waitress at Lou's Diner over on Decatur Boulevard."

"What was she in the system for?" Khandi asked.

"Uh, a DWI about three years back." Jim replied and continued. "Second victim from Sam and Cosmo's crime scene was Melissa Young, thirty-eight. She worked as a blackjack dealer at The Palms. And victim number three from my crime scene was Samantha Carter, forty-one, a professor at UNLV."

"So, they're all different ages, they all have different jobs. How did he pick them?" Cosmo asked.

Sam looked up from studying the crime scene photos for the tenth time that day. "It's their appearance." he replied.

"Their appearance?" Khandi asked as she looked at copies of the photos. She studied them and then looked at Sam. "They do somewhat look alike."

Cosmo looked at the photo of the dead woman from his and Sam's crime scene. The woman that Sam had told him looked like Casandra. Then he compared her to the other two. "Hey, I never noticed that before."

"Cosmo, I told you at the crime scene that she looked like Casandra." Sam blurted out.

"What?" Khandi said. "Are you kidding me?"

"I meant that I never noticed all three women looked alike." Cosmo stated.

Khandi and Jim stared at the photos. "My God they do look like her." Jim said as Casandra made her way into the room.

"Who looks like who?" she asked.

"Not important." Sam replied. "Who was on the phone?"

"Um, a Sergeant Slipofwits or Slipovitch or Stipowits. Something like that. Anyway, he was calling from New York. Said he got the memo that Jim sent out and that they had five victims out their way that fit ours. I told him to send out the case files and we'll take it from there."

"You think he'll send them?" Khandi asked.

"Couldn't say. I hung up after I told him to send the files."

"Great. Now you just probably pissed him off." Cosmo said.

"Yeah, well I didn't feel like getting into a fight over juridiction or anything. So if he sends the case files he does, if he doesn't he doesn't."

"Cas, if he's got victims that match ours we need to see those case files." Jim stated. "You can't just brush it off like that."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I can try to call him back. maybe make some peace."

Jim shook his head. "Let's just give it a day or so and see what comes from it. If we don't receive anything or here from him, then you can make the call."

"Okay. So, where are we here?"

"Not very far." Khandi replied and glanced at Sam. "Other than the fact that all three women look alike."

"They do? I never noticed that." Casandra said, looking at the photos.

Cosmo looked around the room and then spoke. "I think we should tell her."

"Cosmo, shut up." Sam warned him.

"No, she has a right to know."

"What's going on, guys?" Casandra asked.

Sam glared at Cosmo, looked over to Jim and Khandi and then gave a heavy sigh. "I noticed the resemblance right away. No one else did until I pointed it out."

"Resemblance? Sam, what are you talking about?"

"Casandra, all these women look like you."

**TBC...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**//New York City//**

Andy and Connie were laying in bed. Connie had her head resting on Andy's shoulder and her left arm draped over his chest. "I wish you didn't have to leave." she said.

Andy kissed her forehead. "So do I. But I need to be involved in this case."

Connie smirked up at her husband. "No. You don't _need _to be involved. You _want_ to be involved because you can't stand anyone telling you what to do."

Andy chuckled. "Okay, you got me." he replied just as the phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Andy, it's John."

"Hey, John, what's up?"

"Uh, I got us a flight out tomorrow morning at 6 A.M."

"6 A.M. huh?"

"Yeah, I figured the sooner the better."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm already packed." Andy said.

"Good. So, I'll pick you up at 5 then?"

"Yeah, 5 sounds good."

"Alright, I'll see you then." John said and hung up.

Andy hung up the phone and looked down at Connie. "Well, I better get some sleep. I need to be up by 4 and that comes early."

Connie kissed him. "You better wake me before you leave."

"Connie, I'm not leaving without saying goodbye." he replied and kissed her again.

**//Las Vegas//**

Casandra looked at the crime scene photos and then looked at the other four people in the room like they had each grown a second head. "Okay, I can see their resemblance to each other but not to me."

Sam frowned. "Are you kidding me? I noticed it right away."

Casandra shook her head. "No, I just can't see it."

"I can't either." Cosmo replied.

"Cosmo, I told you about it..." Sam started to say.

"I know, Sammy." Cosmo interrupted. "You told me about their resemblance to Casandra. Doesn't mean I see it myself."

Sam sighed and shook his head. "So what are you saying? I'm imagining all this. That I'm completely losing my mind."

Khandi placed a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder. "No, Sam. They just don't see it. That's all. I can see the resemblance. I didn't notice it until you pointed it out but I do see it."

"Yeah, I can see it too." Jim replied. "Which means we got a whole new problem on our hands."

"What's that, Jimmy?" Cosmo asked.

Jim sat back down at the table. "Well, it could just be a coincidence but if he's choosing these women because of their resemblance to Cas, then we have to take a whole new approach."

"Sounds like you have an idea." Khandi said.

Jim nodded and looked over at Casandra. "We're gonna need the files on all your old cases. If someone from your past is holding a grudge we need to figure out who it is and stop him."

"I have copies of all my old cases in storage."

Khandi stood up from the table. "Come on, Cas, I'll go with you to get them."

Casandra nodded and followed Khandi out of the bullpen.

Cosmo looked at Jim and Sam. "I'll call Stacey and tell her we're gonna be pulling an all nighter."

**//New York City//**

Andy was in the middle of a peaceful sleep when his alarm clock started buzzing. "Shit." he grumbled and squinted at the clock. It read 3:50 A.M. He growled and sat up in bed.

Connie started to stir. She yawned and looked up at Andy. "You go take your shower. I'll make you some coffee."

Andy shook his head. "No, you go back sleep. I can manage."

"Andy, go shower. I'll have the coffee ready when you get out. That way you won't be rushing around."

Andy yawned and nodded. "Okay." he replied and padded into the bathroom.

A half hour later Andy came out of the bedroom showered and fully dressed in a polo shirt and blue jeans. He could smell the coffee that had been brewed in the kitchen and he made his way in for a cup. He walked by the couch in the living room and smiled when he saw that Connie had fallen asleep waiting for him. He leaned down, placed a kiss on her head and then made his way into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

While he was waiting for John to pick him up he checked on the kids and had a second cup of coffee. At ten to five he heard a knock on the door.

Andy looked through the peephole and opened it when he saw John standing there. "Hey, come in for a minute." he whispered. "You want some coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks. I didn't have time to make any." John replied and followed Andy into the kitchen. "So the flight leaves at 6 and we'll be in Chicago an hour and a half later."

"Chicago? You mean to tell me you didn't get a direct flight?"

"Andy, there are no direct flights from New York to Vegas."

"So how long do we have to wait in Chicago?" Andy asked as he checked his bags that were sitting by the door.

"45 minutes. We should be in Vegas by 10."

Andy nodded. "That's sounds okay. Although I have to tell you I'm not looking forward to this trip."

"Hey, relax. I know you hate change and being out of your familiar environment but look at it this way at least we'll get to help bring this asshole down."

"Yeah, you're right. We should hit the road."

John drained the rest of his coffee and placed the cup in the sink. "Okay. I'll take one of your bags and head down to the car."

"Thanks." Andy replied and watched John grab one of his bags and head out of the apartment. He then made his way over to the couch and lightly shook Connie. "Connie, honey, I have to go now."

Connie stretched and yawned and sat up on the couch. "Oh, okay. You call me when you get there. Let me know that you made it."

"I will. Tell the kids I love them and I'll see you all soon, okay?"

Connie nodded. "Yeah. I love you, Andy."

"I love you too. I gotta go now."

"Okay, be careful."

Andy nodded and made his way out the door.

**//Las Vegas//**

Khandi was driving the Charger as Casandra sat in the passengers seat staring out the window. Khandi glanced over and noticed the grim look on her sister's face. "You okay, Cas?"

"Hmm? I was just thinking. Do you really think those women look like me?" Casandra asked.

Khandi nodded. "Not _exactly_ like you. But I can see the similarities."

Casandra sighed. "I hate to think that these women died because some nut job out there has it in for me."

Khandi pulled into the lot of the storage facility and parked the Charger. "Cassy, don't even think about blaming yourself. Just because some psycho out there is killing women who happen to resemble you doesn't mean it's your fault."

"Maybe not. But apparently I pissed someone off enough to do it."

Khandi sighed and shook her head. "Okay, let's just get these files."

Casandra climbed out of the car and followed Khandi across the lot. "My storage locker is over this way." Casandra said pointing to the other side of the lot.

Khandi made a u-turn and followed Casandra over to the door. Casandra pulled her key out of her pocket and opened the pad lock on the door.

Khandi followed her into the room and pulled the string on the light that was hanging overhead. Light flooded the room and she looked around the room. "Well, do you at least know where the boxes are?"

Casandra looked around the room. "Uh, they could be over here." she said pointing to a corner of the room.

"Are you telling me you don't know exactly where they are?"

"I know they're in file boxes. So we'll just look for those."

Khandi started on the otherside of the room. "How many boxes are there?"

"Five." Casandra replied. "I think."

Khandi shook her head. "Great. Hey, wait I think I found one." Khandi pulled out the box and opened the top. "Yep, got one."

"I found one too." Casandra said placing it beside the box that Khandi had just found.

A half hour later, Khandi and Casandra were piling the five boxes into the car. Casandra relocked her storage locker and then hoped into the car.

* * *

Jim placed the bags of Chinese take out on the table. "Where's Sam?" he asked.

Cosmo grabbed a plate and began piling on the food. "He's in the john. Khandi called and said they got the boxes and they're about ten minutes out."

Jim nodded and sat down at the table. He grabbed a plate of his own and dished out some food. "We have a long night ahead of us."

"Yeah, I talked to Stacey. Jamie's staying with her to help out with the kids."

"That's good. I hate thinking about her having to deal with seven kids on her own."

Sam walked into the room carrying two boxes. "Cas and Khandi are back. They're coming with the rest of the boxes." Sam said as the two women made their way into the room.

They placed the boxes on the floor and then sat down at the table.

Jim pointed to the food on the table. "Have something to eat first and then we'll start going through the boxes."

"Good idea. I'm starved." Khandi said and grabbed a plate.

They spent the next hour eating dinner. When they were finished they cleaned up and started on the boxes. "I think we should each take a box and work that way." Jim said.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Sam agreed.

They each took a box and started going through the case files. "This is going to be interesting." Cosmo stated.

"Why do say that, Cos?" Casandra asked.

"Because now we get to find out how many people hate you."

"Glad you find this so amusing."

"Not amusing, just... uh, never mind. Let's just get to work."

* * *

After three hours of going through file after file they were only a quarter of the way through each box. No one had any real suspects to look into.

"I mean I have some potentials here that have made threats against you but they weren't sent away for anything more than drug charges and robbery." Jim stated.

"I have one here that you put away for murder. But by this account I'd say he's still inside." Khandi added. "But I'll make a phone call and double check."

"You know someone who's still on the inside could have an accomplice who's on the outside." Sam said. "Maybe look into any know associates this guy had while your at it."

Khandi nodded. "Will do." she said as she picked up the phone.

"You two come up with anything?" Jim asked Casandra and Cosmo.

"Zilch on my end." Cosmo replied.

"Ditto here." Casandra added. "I just don't get it. Why would some psycho be killing women that resemble me in one way or another?"

Cosmo chuckled. "I think you answered your own question there, Cassy."

Casandra frowned at Cosmo. "What?"

"The guy's a _psycho_. That's why."

Khandi hung up the phone and sat back down at the table. "He's still inside. And apparently he's a loner. No known associates."

"Well, I guess we can cross him off the list." Jim said, as he stood up and stretched. "I'm gonna grab some coffee. Anyone else want some."

"Yeah, I could use a cup." Khandi replied. "Why don't you just bring the pot back."

Jim nodded and left the room. As he was walking down the hall he heard Sam calling after him. "Hey, Jim, wait up." Jim stopped as Sam caught up with him. "I'll walk with you. I needed to get out of that room."

"Yeah tell me about it. My back's killing me."

"Hey, Jimmy, be honest with me. Do really think that it's someone Cassy dealt with in the past."

"I'm not really sure of anything Sam. It could be someone she's had dealings with in the past or it could just be some random psycho that's fixated on her now. Either way, it doesn't hurt to look into everything, right?"

Sam nodded as they entered the breakroom. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

By the next morning, after making it through three quarters of the boxes, they campared notes, made phone calls and in the end were no where.

"Well, that's been a complete waste of time." Cosmo complained.

"Maybe Cosmo." Jim said. "But look at it this way. It's looking as if the guy wasn't someone Cas had dealings with before."

"I have to tell you," Casandra said. "That's sort of a relief. I'd hate to think I pissed someone off in that past that's getting back at me by killing innocent women."

"I don't think we should rush to any conclusions." Khandi said. "We still have some files left to go through."

"Yeah, Khandi's right." Sam stated. "But I think we should go home, get cleaned up, catch some sleep and finish this off tonight."

"Sounds good to me." Jim replied.

* * *

Andy and John had been in Vegas now a half hour. They had rented a car and got directions to the Las Vegas Police Department. "I'm glad to be off that plane." Andy grumbled. "That asshole across the aisle snored louder than a freight train."

John turned the car into the parking lot of the LVPD. "I told you to put the headphones on but you wouldn't listen."

"Don't start in on me about the headphones again. Like I want to spend two hours listening to air traffic control."

John parked the car next to a big truck and shut the engine off. "They have more channels to listen to besides air traffic control. I'm sure you could have found some oldies to listen to."

Andy glared at John but didn't say anything. He just opened the car door and got out. As he closed the car door, he noticed someone sitting in the driver's seat of the truck.

"Hey, Junior, check it out."

John walked around the car and stood beside Andy. "Is she sleeping?"

"I don't think so. I think she's dead." Andy said and opened the door of the truck. Just as he did, the alarm started wailing. "Shit!"

* * *

The Cavalry was making their way out to the front door when the desk Sergeant stopped them. "Uh, Lieutenant Gerard?"

"Yeah." Sam and Casandra answered.

"Actually I was talking to her." the desk Sergeant said, pointing to Casandra.  
"What is it?"

"This was left for you." he replied, handing her the note.  
"Who left it?"

"It was a kid who worked at one of those bike messenger places."

"Okay, thanks." she replied as she heard the sound of the alarm going off in the parking lot. "That's my truck." She took off running out of the building as the rest of the Cavalry ran after her.

Andy and John were checking on the woman in the truck when they heard someone yelling across the parking lot. "Hey! Get the fuck away from my truck!"

Andy and John stood back from the driver's seat of the truck and walked around to the tailgate. "Did you know there's a dead woman in your truck?" Andy asked.

"Fuck! I just got this truck last week." Casandra said as she reached them.

"Did you hear what he said?" John asked.

"Yeah, I heard him." Casandra replied and pulled her key ring out of her pocket, hit a button and the alarm stopped. She looked at Andy and John. "Who are you guys anyway?"

Andy shook his head. "Let me guess, you're the pushy Lieutenant I talked to on the phone."

Casandra clued in to who she was looking at. "Oh, you're Sergeant Slipofwits." she replied as the rest of the Cavalry reached them.

Andy glared at her. "That's Sipowicz." he corrected.

Before Casandra could reply Jim stepped forward. "Andy?" Jim asked curiously.

Andy turned at the sound of his name. "Jim? I don't believe it." he replied, shaking Jim's hand. "I thought the name Brass on that memo sounded familiar. I should have put two and two together."

Khandi looked between her husband and the unfamiliar man. "I take it you two know each other."

Jim nodded. "Yeah, Andy was my first partner when I started on the job back in Jersey."

"Small world." Sam stated.

"I'll say." Jim replied and introduced Andy to the rest of the group.

"This is Detective John Clark Jr." Andy said introducing him to the group. "He's a detective in my squad back in New York."

After the introductions were made Jim made his way to the driver's side of the truck. He looked at the dead woman and pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call CSI."

"You should get Doc Robbins here also." Khandi said.

Casandra wasn't paying attention to the conversation. Instead she opened the note that she was holding in her hand and looked down at the neatly, type written words and read: My Dearest Casandra, I have finally found you after two years of desperate searching. Please accept this gift as a token of my undying love for you. Yours forever, H.K.

Her face went deathly pale and she shoved the note into her pocket. She looked at the dead woman for the first time and couldn't believe it. Looking at this poor woman dead in her truck she suddenly could see the resemblance to herself. Now she knew what the sick bastard meant when he said _gift_.

She knew who was behind this whole mess and she wanted to be the one to take him down. She had to get out of there but with her truck a crime scene she knew she wasn't going to be able to use it. So, she pushed past the group and made her way over to Sam's pickup. She climbed in, fired up the engine and took off down the street as the group still standing back at her truck, stood dumbfounded.

**TBC...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Casandra was barreling down the road, with no idea where she was going. The only thing she did know was that she had to somehow forget the pain that was forcing it's way into her heart.

It was the pain that she tried so hard to forget but getting that note it was taking her over full force. She decided at that moment that she needed a drink. Desperately.

She kept making her way down Tropicana Boulevard because she knew that McMullan's Pub was on West Tropicana. She drove for another ten minutes and pulled the truck up outside the pub.

She sat behind the wheel for a minute and pulled the note from her pocket. She read it again: My Dearest Casandra, I have finally found you after two years of desperate searching. Please accept these gifts as a token of my undying love for you. Yours forever, H.K.

H.K. Two initials that she was very familiar with. Two initials that haunted her in Dallas. Now the man behind them was in Vegas and still fixated on her like he was two years ago when he murdered her family and partner.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe she didn't catch this asshole when he first entered her life and completely destroyed it. But now he was trying to do it again.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, threw the note down on the seat of the truck and got out. She stood on the curb for a second to collect herself before she made her way into the bar to drink herself numb.

* * *

Doc Robbins had removed the body from the truck and Nick had it towed back to the CSI garage. There was now crime scene tape around where the truck used to be.

The Cavalry, along with Andy and John, were still in the parking lot. "Where the hell would she take off to?" Cosmo asked.

Jim shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm betting it has something to do with that note she received."

"It must have been really bad if she just took off with no word." Khandi said.

"Who's truck did she take?" Andy asked.

"That would be mine." Sam replied.

Andy looked at John and then back at Sam. "Do you happen to have GPS on your truck?"

Sam looked at the group and then back at Andy. "As a matter of fact, I do."

"Well, we could track her down that way."

Sam nodded. "I'll head over to CSI and have Archie help me track it."

Jim put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Okay, let us know when you have a location."

"Will do." Sam said and started to walk off. "Uh, I need a car."

Khandi pulled her keys out of her pocket and tossed them to Sam. "Take mine."

"Thanks." he said when he caught them.

* * *

Casandra was sitting at the bar already on her way to being drunk. She emptied the shot of whiskey and motioned to the bartender. "Another one." she said as he made his way over to pour the shot. "You know what? Just leave the bottle."

"You sure about that?" the bartender asked.

"Just leave the bottle."

"Okay. It's your liver." he said and placed the bottle on the bar in front of Casandra.

She downed the shot and poured herself another one. Just as she downed that one, she noticed a man sit down beside her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" the man asked.

Casandra looked over at him and shook her head. "Nah, I got my own." she slurred.

The man nodded and motioned to the bartender. "Can I get a mineral water?"

"Sure thing." the bartender replied.

The man kept his eye on Casandra. He noticed her eyes starting to close and she wasn't paying attention to the drink in front of her.

The bartender placed the mineral water down in front of the man and then walked back to other end of the bar. The man looked at the bartender and when he was sure he wasn't paying attention he took the opportunity to slip the little white pill into Casandra's drink.

The moment he pulled his hand back, Casandra opened her eyes, shook her head and downed the shot. The man watched her carefully for a few minutes. When he noticed her getting woozy, he put his arm around her waist and helped her off the stool.

"Hey, what's going on?" she slurred.

"It's okay, baby, I'll take care of you." the man said as they headed toward the door.

"Hey. what are you doing?" the bartender asked the man.

"Don't worry about it, pal. She's my girlfriend." he said, opened the door and took Casandra outside.

"Where are we going?" Casandra asked.

"I'm taking you home, baby." the man said as he turned her down an alleyway.

* * *

Back in the Cavalry's bullpen Andy and John had just finished filling Jim, Khandi and Cosmo in on their New York victims when Sam walked in.

"According to the GPS, my truck is parked outside McMullin's Pub."

"McMullin's Pub? What would she be doing there?" Jim asked.

"My guess would be getting shitfaced." Cosmo replied.

"We better go and pull her out of there." Khandi said and stood up from the table.

"Want us to tag along incase there's any trouble?" John asked.

"Yeah that's a good idea." Jim replied.

The group left the bullpen and made their way out to the parking lot. Andy and John climbed into their rental car as Jim, Khandi, Cosmo and Sam got into Jim's Charger.

They pulled out of the parking lot and Andy and John followed them. They made their way down Tropicana Boulevard until they noticed Sam's truck still parked outside the pub.

The two cars pulled up behind the truck and everyone got out. Jim walked up to the passenger's side and opened the door. "She's not in here." he said and noticed the note laying on the seat. "Hey, take a look at this."

Jim picked up the note as everyone gathered around to read it. "What the hell do you think that means?" Sam asked.

Jim shook his head. "I don't know. But it's not good. I'm betting this is the guy behind all these murders and the reason why Cas is probably drinking herself into a stupor right now."

"Let's go get her." Khandi said, heading for the pub. She opened the front door and stepped inside. She looked around but didn't see Casandra anywhere.

The rest of the group followed her inside. "Where the hell is she?" Sam asked as he took in the six patrons that were in the bar.

"She could be in the bathroom. I'll go check. You guys talk to the bartender." Khandi said and walked to the back of the bar.

The five men walked up to the bar and Sam pulled his wallet out. He took out the picture of Casandra that he kept and showed it to the bartender. "Have you seen this woman?"

The bartender looked at the picture. "Sure have. She was in here earlier."

"Do you know where she went?" Jim asked.

"She was pretty wasted. She left here with a guy."

Sam's fist clenched. He looked at Jim and then back at the bartender. "Who was the guy?"

"I don't know. Never saw him before. Said he was her boyfriend."

Khandi walked back to the group. "She's not in..." she started to say and noticed the look on Sam's face. "What happened?"

Jim looked over at his wife. "Bartender said Cas left with some guy who said he was her boyfriend."

Khandi shook her head. She couldn't understand what was going on. She looked over at the bartender. "Did they get into a car when they left?"

"Nah, he walked her down the street."

"We should check the area. They could be close by." Cosmo said.

"Hey, you telling me this guy wasn't her boyfriend?" the bartender asked.

"No, he wasn't." Jim replied and followed the group out the door.

"Okay, let's split up and check the surrounding area." Khandi said and the group split up.

* * *

The man that had taken Casandra out of the pub now had her behind the pub and pinned against the wall as he thrusted in and out of her. He had ripped her shirt open and her pants and underwear were down around her ankles.

The drug he had slipped her in the pub was starting to wear off but she was still too woozy to fight him off. As he kept thrusting, he suddenly heard footsteps coming up the alleyway. He pulled out of Casandra, let her go, pulled up his pants and took off down the backway as Andy came around the corner.

Casandra slumped to the ground as Andy ran toward her. He noticed the blood on the ground but decided to get her covered up. But before he did that he removed the walkie talkie from his belt. "Junior, it's Andy. I found her. I need you to radio for a bus."

"Copy that." John said over the radio.

Andy managed to get Casandra's pants and underwear pulled up and as he slipped his coat around her shoulders to cover up her torn shirt, Casandra looked up at him.

She noticed the look on Andy's face and she knew that he knew what happened. "I know you know. Please don't tell anyone else."

Andy frowned but then he nodded. "Okay, I won't tell anyone."

"And cancel the bus. I don't need it." Casandra said as the Cavalry and John came around the corner.

Sam moved toward her "Cassy, you were attacked. You need to be checked out."

Casandra moved away from Sam and grabbed Andy's arm. Which didn't go unnoticed by Sam or the rest of the group. "No. Nothing's been broken. I'm fine."

Andy looked around at the group and then down at Casandra who was hanging onto his arm. "I think you should go and get checked out."

Casandra looked up at Andy. "Okay. Will you come with me?"

As those words left her mouth, Sam felt like he'd been socked in the gut. How could his own wife want a stranger with her instead of her own husband?

Andy nodded and the bus pulled up in the alleyway. "Okay, I'll go with you."

"Just you." Casandra said. "I don't want anyone else coming."

The Cavalry was dumbfounded and insulted. Casandra had just been attacked. How could she not want her family with her?

Andy helped the paramedics get Casandra into the bus and then climbed in behind her. He turned and looked at the shocked and hurt looks on the members of the Cavalry. "I'll take care of her." he said as the paramedic shut the door.

Cosmo shook his head. "Why the hell would she want him to go with her?" he complained.

The Cavalry turned their attention toward John. He held his hands up in defense. "Hey, I know as much as you do."

"Okay, let's take it easy. The main thing is is that she's okay." Jim reasoned. "Let's just go back to the station and figure out there what we're going to do."

"Wait a minute." Sam said. "We're not going to the hospital? It was _my _wife who was attacked."

"Sam, Casandra made it perfectly clear that she didn't want us there. I think we should respect that." Jim said.

Sam glared at Jim. "You wouldn't be saying that if it was Khandi."

"Boys! Calm down." Khandi said. "You guys go back to the station. I'll head over to the hospital and check up on her. Okay?"

Sam sighed heavily but then nodded.

* * *

Casandra was laying in a hospital bed waiting to see a doctor. Andy was standing next to her. Casandra looked up at him. "How did you know?" she asked.

"That he raped you?" Casandra nodded. "Besides the fact that I had to pull your underwear and pants back up, when you asked me not to tell anyone, you had the same look in your eyes as my late wife did when she told me about her rape." Andy replied, somewhat getting choked up thinking about that time his life. He loved Connie but he still missed Sylvia a lot.

"Your late wife?" Casandra asked. Andy nodded. "How did she die?"

Tears welled up in Andy's eyes and his lower lip quivered a bit. "She was murdered. A grieving father opened fire in the courthouse and she was hit."

"I'm so sorry." Casandra said and took Andy's hand in hers.

"It was a long time ago."

"Still, I know how that feels. Both my husband and my daughter were murdered."

"How old was your daughter?" Andy asked.

"Three years old." Casandra replied as the tears welled in her own eyes.

"Just a baby." Andy whispered shaking his head. "My oldest son, Andy Jr., was 24 when he was murdered."

Casandra couldn't believe it. There was finally someone with her that could understand what she had gone through. Someone she felt she could confide in and he would understand where she was coming from. Someone who knew that pain of losing someone he loved very much and was able to talk about it.

"Andy, I have to tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"My husband Jack and my daughter Mackenzie were murdered by a serial killer that the task force that I was a part of at the time was trying to track down. He somehow became fixated with me and went after my family, killing them, my partner and wounding me in the process."

"Jesus. I'm sorry." Andy said squeezing her hand.

"The thing is, the note I received today is from that same guy. I think he tracked me down in Vegas and he's the one that's been killing these women."

Andy shook his head in disbelief. "Can you identify this guy?"

"I've never seen him. The only thing I know about him are his initials...."

"H.K." Andy finished.

Casandra looked at him in surprise. "How did you know that?"

"We found the note he sent you in the truck outside the pub."

Casandra nodded and looked at Andy. "Before the doctor comes in here I want it known that I don't want a rape kit done."

"Are you sure? It might be good..."

"No, please. Don't tell them I was raped. Besides it doesn't matter. I already know who did it."

"You think it was this H.K.?" Andy asked.

"Who else could it be?"

"I don't know. It's just..."

"Andy, promise me you won't tell the doctor or anyone else about what happened."

After talking to a nurse Khandi made her way over to the curtained off bed that Casandra was in. She stopped when she heard Andy speaking.

"Okay. I'll just tell the doctor that you were mugged." he said.

Khandi couldn't believe what she was hearing. Instead of pulling the curtain back, she turned on her heels and left the hospital.

* * *

Jim, Cosmo, Sam and John were all sitting around the table. "Do you guys have a board we can use?" John asked.

"I think I can get one." Jim replied. "But what for?"

"So we can put all the pictures of the victims up and figure out a timeline."

"Hey, that's a great idea." Cosmo said.

Jim left and minute later wheeled a big whiteboard into the room. They spent the next half hour putting the pictures up and mapping out a timeline based on when the first victim was killed in New York and ending with the last one that had been found in Casandra's truck.

The four guys stood back and studied the board. "This is frightening." Sam observed. "Looking at all nine women side by side, the resemblance to Casandra is more apparent."

Just then Khandi walked into the room. "I think we need to add Cas to the board." she said.

"Why?" Cosmo asked.

"I was just at the hospital."

"Is she okay?" Sam asked worriedly.

"She sounded fine. I didn't see her because when I got there I heard the end of the conversation she and Andy were having."

"What were they saying?" Jim asked.

"Like I said I only caught the end of it but I heard Andy saying that he would tell the doctor that she'd been mugged."

"Why the hell would he say that?" Sam asked angrily.

"Sam, I think something more happened in that alley and she doesn't want anyone to know."

"You're saying you think she was raped."

"I'm saying it's a possibility."

Just as Cosmo had added Casandra's picture to the board next to the last victim, Casandra and Andy walked into the bullpen.

Casandra saw the board and became pissed at the sight of her picture next to the nine victims. She stormed over to the board, ripped the picture down and shoved it at Sam. "I"M NOT A VICTIM!" she screamed and stormed out of the bullpen.

Sam started to chase after her when Andy stopped him. "Don't. Just give her some space."

Sam turned around and glared at Andy. "Who the hell are you to tell me what to do when it concerns _my _wife?!"

"I'm the guy telling you that she needs some time to figure things out and she doesn't need you bombarding her with questions."

"Listen here..." Sam yelled getting in Andy's face.

At that moment both Jim and John got between the two men. "Hey!" Jim yelled. "You two getting in each other's faces is not helping matters! Now go to neutral corners and calm down."

John pulled Andy back as Sam stormed out of the bullpen in search of Casandra. He found her sitting on the curb in front of the station.

He sat down beside her and took in her appearance. Her hair was dishevelled, she was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes, that were red from crying. "Cassy, honey, are you okay?" When she didn't answer he asked her again. "Honey, please, tell me what's going on."

Casandra stood up and looked down at Sam. "I wish I could, Sam. But I can't. I'm sorry." she said and fresh tears fell down her face as she walked away from him.

**TBC...**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Sam sat dejected on the curb as he watched his wife shut him out and walk away from him. Just as he was contemplating chasing after her again, Khandi came out through the doors.

She stopped when she saw Sam slouched over on the curb. "Sammy? Where's Cas?"

Sam looked up at Khandi and she could see the pain in his eyes. "She left. She didn't want to talk to me."

Khandi sat down on the curb beside Sam and placed an arm around his shoulder. "She'll come around, Sam. You just gotta give her some time."

Sam shook his head. "No. She's going through something right now and she won't open up to me to let me help her through it."

Khandi squeezed Sam's shoulder. "Why don't you let me try and talk to her."

"I don't know if that would do any good, Khandi."

"It doesn't hurt to try, right?"

"Yeah, right." Sam sighed. "If you think it would help, go for it but I'm telling you you're wasting your time."

Khandi stood up and looked down at Sam. "Maybe. But it's my time being wasted. Did you see where she went?"

"Yeah, she headed toward the back of the building."

Khandi started to walk off but then stopped and looked back at Sam. "Don't worry, Sammy. Everything will work out." she said and walked off.

"I hope so." Sam whispered and tears filled his eyes. "God, I hope so."

* * *

Khandi walked around the back of the building and saw Casandra standing there smoking. "When did you start smoking?" Khandi asked and then noticed that Casandra had been crying.

Casandra wiped the tears from her eyes, took a long drag, blew out the smoke and then looked at Khandi. "It calms my nerves."

"Really? And what has you so edgy lately?"

"Nothing I want to talk about." Casandra replied, taking another drag.

"Cassy, why are you shutting us out? We want to help you." Khandi said placing a hand on Casandra's shoulder.

Casandra pulled away. "You can't help me!"

"Yes, we can. But you have to tell us what's going on."

Fresh tears welled up in Casandra's eyes. "I can't."

"You can't. Or you won't?"

Tears rolled down Casandra's face. She threw her smoke to the ground and looked at Khandi. "I can't." she replied and walked away.

"Cas, don't run away. Let us help you."

Casandra didn't acknowledge Khandi, she just kept walking.

* * *

Khandi made her way into the bullpen as Andy and John were walking out. She looked back at them and then turned her attention to Jim. "Where are they going?" she asked.

Jim shrugged. "Andy just said they had something to take care of."

"Did you find Casandra?" Sam asked.

"Yeah but she shut me out. Just said she couldn't tell me what was going on."

"Same thing she told me." Sam sighed.

Jim looked at Sam, "Listen, whatever is going through Cassy's mind, she figures she is doing the right thing."

Cosmo looked at them then looked around the room. Just then he noticed a box sitting in the corner of the room. "Hey, I thought you guys only brought five." He said picking up the box.

"Five what?" Khandi asked.

"Boxes." Cosmo replied, bringing it over to the table.

"We did. I remember putting five boxes in the back of the car."

"So where did this one come from?" Jim asked.

"The corner." Comso answered.

"Now is not the time to be a fucking smartass, Cosmo." Sam warned him.

"Hey, who's being a smartass? That's where it came from."

Sam went to grab Cosmo but Jim got between them before Sam could do anything. "Alright, let's just calm down and see what's inside it."

Sam grumbled as Jim opened the box. Inside there was an envelope, case file and another smaller box. They all looked at each other then the case file. On the front of the case file was written: HK-RIGGS.

They all looked at each other and then Jim opened up the casefile. He read through the pages quickly but there was really nothing in it. No suspect photo, no real name just the initials H.K. and an FBI profile on who could be commiting these serial murders.

Khandi looked over at Jim. "Anything in there that could help us?"

Jim shook his head. "Nothing. Except a profile that says were looking for a white male, 25 to 40 years old, loner."

"So a typical FBI profile." Sam stated.

"Yeah." Jim replied.

"So, why don't we move on to her notes." Cosmo stated holding up a notebook.

Khandi stared at Cosmo for a minute. "Okay. So open it up and read us what it says."

Cosmo opened the notebook and flipped through the pages. "Hey, she keeps pretty good notes. There's detailed descriptions of the crime scenes, a list of possible suspects..."  
"Stop there." Jim said. "Any of those suspects have the initials H.K.?"

Cosmo ran through the list. "Just one. A guy by the name of Harry Kramer. But according to Cassy's notes they were looking at him as a suspect in victim number three's homicide but she couldn't tie him to the other women. And he had a solid alibi for the murder they were looking at him for."

"Still, he's someone worth looking into." Khandi stated.

"Also here is mentions of notes that she got. Something about this H.K. becoming fixated on her."

"I wonder if she kept those notes." Jim said.

Khandi eyes went to a shoe box sitting on the table. She picked it up and opened it. When she saw what was inside, she looked at Jim. "Yeah she did." Khandi replied and dumped the notes out onto the table.

Jim picked up a note and read it out loud. " 'My Dearest Casandra, I saw you on the news today. You looked as beautiful as always. Don't worry my love, it won't be long now. We'll be together very soon. Yours forever, H.K.' This guy is psychotic."

Sam shook his head. This guy was what Casandra couldn't tell him about. That had to be it. He picked up another note and read it out loud. "My dearest Casandra. I saw your daughter today outside playing in the backyard with your husband, Jack. Mackenzie is starting to look like you more and more everyday. Just wait til we have our own kids. H.K"

Khandi felt a shiver run down her spine. "This guy is so creepy." she said and picked a note up from the table. "Hmm, it seems as time went on he got more hostile."

The wheels were turning in Jim's head. "This is the asshole that murdered her family. I bet the closer he got to going through with murdering them, the more hostile the letters became."

"What does it say, Khandi?" Sam asked.

Khandi looked down at the note in her hand. "How dare you give all your attention to _them_! You're making a mistake by ignoring me! They don't deserve to have you, I DO! Soon enough it will be just the two of us! That I promise! H.K."

Sam sighed. "Okay, so we know who's doing this."

"Now wait a minute Sammy. What's in the envelope?" Cosmo asked.

Sam stared at the envelope sitting on the table. He hesitated for a minute before he picked it up and opened the flap. He pulled out what turned out to a stack of photos. He held them in his hand and looked down at the photo on the top of the pile.

Sam's face lost all its color and tears welled up in his eyes. He was looking at crime scene photos and the photo on the top of the pile was Casandra's three year old daughter Mackenzie with her throat slit. Sam felt the bile rise in his throat and he felt like he was going to throw up.

"What is it Sam? What are in those pictures?" Cosmo asked.

Khandi took the pictures from Sam. "Oh my God." she said when she looked down at them. Tears welled up in her own eyes. "These are crime scene photos of Cassy's family."

* * *

Andy pulled the rental car up outside McMullin's Pub. "What are we doing here?" John asked.

"I want to talk to this asshole bartender again." Andy said getting out of the car. "I got a feeling he knows more than he told us earlier."

"You seem pretty confident about that." John said as he followed Andy into the bar.

"Junior, I've spent enough time in bars to know that a bartender always sees more than he tells." Andy replied and walked up to the bar.

"What can I get you gentlemen?" the bartender asked.

"Let's start off with some information." Andy replied and pulled the picture of Casandra, that he had taken from the bullpen, out of his pocket. "Remember her?"

"Sure. I told you guys she was in here and then left with some guy."

"Right. Let's get to who the guy was."

"I told that other guy, I never saw him before."

Andy grabbed the bartender and slammed his head down on the bar. "Listen here, asshole, I think you have seen the guy before. As a matter of fact I think he's a regular in here!"

"Hey, get this psycho off me!" the bartender yelled.

John just shook his head. "You better tell my partner what you know or he's gonna get really pissed."

"Partner? You guys are cops?"

"Yeah, we're cops. And so was the woman who was in here earlier."

"No way. She didn't look like no cop."

Andy pressed his head harder into the bar. "Well, she is. So you better start talking about who the guy is that she left here with."

"Okay, okay. Let me up and I'll talk."

Andy let him go. "Start talking."

"Look, I was telling you the truth when I said I never saw the guy before."

Andy was about to smack the guy when he pulled back. "Listen you asshole, if I find out you're lying and you're in on it with this prick, the next time we talk it'll be with my shoe pressed against your throat, you understand me?"

"Hey, hey, take it easy. I just started working here. So, I really don't know if he's a regular or not."

Andy calmed down a bit. "Okay, we're gonna sit at that table over there." Andy said, pointing to the corner. "If he comes in I want you to signal us. If you tip _him_ off I'm gonna bust your skull. Got it?"

"Yeah, hey, whatever I can do to help. Did he hurt that woman?"

"Yeah, he did." John replied and followed Andy to the table.

They sat down at a table in the corner of the bar and a waitress approached them. "What can I get you?" she asked.

"I'll take a club soda with lime." Andy replied.

"Bud for me." John said.

Normally Andy would lecture John about his drinking but in the last few years it hadn't been a problem. He wasn't drinking everyday like he had been five years ago and he could tell that John had learned to limit his intake.

After an hour and a half of sitting in the pub there was still no sign of the guy. Just then the front door opened and a man, about 5'10", medium build and dirty blond hair walked in and sat next to a woman at the bar.

At that moment Andy saw the bartender nod and he knew that was their guy. Andy looked across the table at John. "He just walked in and sat down at the bar."

John looked at the guy sitting at the bar. "How are we going to do this?"

"Just follow my lead." Andy said, standing up and making his way over to the bar. Andy sat down on a stool next to the man. "How's it going?"

"Fine." the man mumbled and turned his attention back to the woman beside him.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"No. You got the wrong guy."

"I don't think so." Andy replied and pressed his gun into the guy's ribs.

"Hey, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Just walk." John said coming up on the other side of the man.

They walked him out of the bar and started down the street. "Hey, I don't know who you think I am. But you got the wrong guy." Andy and John didn't say anything. They just lead the man down the back alley behind the bar. "Let me go, man."

Andy shoved the man against the wall with his gun hand and put Casandra's picture in his face with the other. "You remember her, asshole?"

"Never seen her before."

Andy handed the picture to John and then punched the guy in the stomach. "Wrong answer, you prick!" Andy yelled as the guy fell to his knees.

"I'm telling you I don't know her."

"Try again, asshole." Andy said and kneed the guy in face, which sent him flying back into the wall.

"You were seen leaving this bar with her." John said grabbing the guy by his hair.

"Whoever said that is lying."

"You fucking prick!" Andy yelled and began punching the guy over and over again in the face.

John finally had enough and pulled Andy off the guy. "Hey, Andy, that's enough. Let's just get this asshole back to the station and talk to him there."

Andy, who was breathing heavily, looked at John but then nodded. The guy was lying on the ground in a bloody mess. They picked him up, put him in cuffs and took him to their rental car.

* * *

The Cavalry, minus Casandra, now had the casefile, the notes from H.K., and the crime scene photos all spread out on the table. Along with Casandra's notebook.

They were still going through the notes when Casandra walked into the room. "What the fuck are you doing!?" she yelled. "Where did you get those!?"

"Cassy, calm down." Sam said.

"No! You had no right to go into that box!" she yelled as she started grabbing everything off the table and shoving them back into the box.

"Cas, stop." Khandi said. "Sit down and talk to us about this."

"No! This stuff is private you had no right to look through it."

"Casandra, this stuff is relevent to the murders we're trying to solve now. We have every right to look at what's in that box." Jim said. He hated being blunt and harsh but he needed everything he could get on this monster.

Casandra dropped the box on the floor, walked over to Jim and slapped him across the face. "Screw you, Jimmy! Screw all of you!" she yelled, grabbed her box and stormed out of the bullpen.

Jim just stood there. Khandi walked over to him and placed her hand on the red mark on his face. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he replied. "She's just blowing off some steam."

* * *

As Casandra was making her way down the hall, Andy and John were coming in with the guy they had picked up at McMullin's Pub.

Casandra stopped in her tracks when she saw them. "Andy, what's going on?" she asked.

"Where's the interrogation room?" Andy asked in turn.

"Right down there." Casandra replied and pointed to a room at the end of the hall.

"Junior, take this guy down there. I'll be in in a minute."

"You got it." John replied and pushed the guy down the hall. "Let's go asshole."

"Who is that guy?"

"That's the guy that attacked you in that alley." Andy replied.

"You're sure about that?"

"Positive. The bartender said that he's the guy who took you out of the bar."

"Son of a bitch! Are you telling me that's H.K.?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out." Andy said.

As he started to walk off down the hall, he ran into Jim. "Who was that guy I saw John taking into interrogation?"

"Someone worth talking to." Andy replied and stopped outside the interrogation room door.

Jim looked in through the door and saw the guy's face for the first time. "What happened to him?"

"He fell."

"That's quite a fall." Jim replied. "I didn't think you were still tuning guys up, Andy."

"Hey, whatever gets the job done."

"Yeah, well we do things differently in Vegas."

"Jim, don't forget, I still live and work in New York. Besides, this is the asshole that attacked Casandra. He's lucky all he got was a little tune up." Andy said and walked into the room.

Jim walked into the observation room as Casandra walked down the hall and watched through the door.

Andy sat down across from the guy and glared at him. "Okay, why don't we start with you telling us what H.K. stands for."

"H.K.? What the fuck you talking about?"

"They're your initials." John stated. "So you gotta know what they stand for."

"My initials aren't H.K."

"Drop the act, you prick." Andy said.

"It's not an act. I think I know my own initials."

John looked at Andy and then across the table. "You got any ID?"

"Yeah, I got ID." the man said, pulled his wallet out and tossed it across the table.

John picked up the wallet and took out the guy's ID. "Dominic Bonnati."

"Yeah, Dominic Bonnati. My initials are D.B. not H.K."

"An ID is easy to fake there, _Dominic_." Andy said. "We know you left that bar with that woman and we know what you did to her in that alley."

"I didn't do anything to any woman in that alley."

"Don't lie to us!" Andy said, standing up from his chair and looming over him.

"I'm not lying! I never left that bar with any woman!"

Andy was getting pissed now. "Get on your feet."

"No, I'm telling you..."

"I said get on your feet!" Andy yelled, picked the guy up by his jacket and slammed him into the wall.

"You get your hands off me." Dominic said.

"I've had it with you!"

"Yeah, I've had it with you too!" Dominic yelled back at Andy.

"You're gonna tell us what happened in that alley!"

"You get your hands off me now."

"You're not leaving this room until you tell us what happened!" John said, walking up beside Andy.

"I'm warning you." Dominic said to Andy.

"You're warning me about what!?"

Dominic grabbed Andy's head and shoved him back against the table. Andy pushed him away and punched him in the face. Dominic came right back and punched Andy in the nose. That's when Andy grabbed him and started wailing on his face. Again.

John tried to pull Andy off Dominic as Casandra burst into the room and jumped on Dominic herself. "You son of a bitch!" she said, scratching at his eyes.

Just then, Jim came running into the room and he and John pulled Casandra off of Dominic. "You're all a bunch of animals!" Dominic yelled.

"Get out of here!" Jim yelled at him. "Now!"

Dominic grabbed his wallet off the table and took off out the door. Andy stood there, with a bloody nose, looking at Jim. "What the hell did you let him go for?"

"You have no evidence to hold this guy, Andy."

"What about assaulting a police officer?"

Jim shook his head. "You grabbed him first."

"Who's side are you on here, Jim?" Andy asked.

Jim sighed. "Look, let's all just take the night, cool down and get some sleep. Then we can start over fresh tomorrow alright?"

Andy shook his head in disgust, walked past Jim and left the room.

* * *

Later that night Jim and Khandi were laying in bed. "What happened in that interrogation room, Jimmy?" Khandi asked.

Jim shook his head. "I don't know exactly. Everything happened so fast."

"Did I hear right that the guy Andy and John brought in was the same guy that attacked Cassy?" Khandi asked as Sam was walking past their room. He stopped outside the door when he heard Casandra's name.

"I don't know but Andy was convinced it was."

"Do you have any reason to doubt him?"

"No. He's always had good instincts when it came to the job." Jim replied. "I just hope this time his instincts were off and I didn't let Cassy's attacker go free."

Sam couldn't bear to hear anymore. He walked off down the hall to his own room to check on Shawn and Mackenzie. When he knew they were okay, he made his way into the kitchen for a beer. He got one out of the fridge and then walked outside to the deck.

He took a sip from the beer bottle and then leaned on the railing. How did everything get so out of control? Why was Casandra shutting him and the rest of the family out? He couldn't understand it. All he knew was that she started to act this way when Andy showed up in town. For some reason Sam blamed Andy for the problems that were going on in his and Casandra's relationship and he was determined to put a stop to it. One thing he knew he had to do was try to talk to Casandra. That is if she was even going to come home at all.

Sam sighed, took a long swig from his beer and then broke down in tears.

* * *

John had gone to his own room to get some much needed sleep and Andy was in his talking to Connie on the phone.

"How are the kids?" he asked.

"They're fine. We all miss you." Connie replied.

"I miss you too."

"So, how are things going there?" Connie asked.

Andy sighed. "Not good."

"What happened, Andy?"

"One of the cops that John and I are working with, Casandra Gerard, was attacked this afternoon."

"Is she okay?"

"No. This whole case is taking its toll on her." Andy replied as a knock came on the door. "Hang on a minute, Connie." He laid the phone on the bed, walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. He was surprised to see Casandra standing there. "Just a minute." he said through the door and went back to the phone. "Connie, I'll call you back later. Casandra's at the door."

"She's there at your hotel room?" Connie asked and Andy could hear the jealously in her voice.

"Connie, relax, she's going through a tough time right now. Listen, I have to go. I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too, Andy." she replied and hung up.

Andy sighed, shook his head and walked back to the door. "Casandra, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes were red from crying and she was carrying the box that contained everything she had on H.K. "I just need to be with someone who understands what I'm going through."

Andy nodded. "Come on in."

**TBC...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

All was quiet in the Cavalry household. That was until the ringing of the doorbell shattered the peaceful silence. It managed to wake the adults in the house, along with Little Jimmy.

"Who's at the door, daddy?" Little Jimmy asked as he rubbed the sleep in his eyes.

"I don't know, buddy." Jim replied and picked up his son. "Let's go see."

Before Jim had reached the door, Stacey had made it there first. She looked out through the peephole but couldn't see anyone. She looked back at everyone, opened the door and looked outside.

There was no one in sight anywhere. Just then Stacey looked down and saw a small box sitting on the front porch. "Hey, what's this?" she asked and picked the box up.

"Stacey!" Cosmo yelled and snatched the box from her. "Be careful. You don't know what's in that box."

"Yeah, well, neither do you."

Jim handed Little Jimmy to Khandi and left to get some latex gloves. When he came back he took the box from Cosmo. "What's with the gloves, Jimmy?" Cosmo asked.

"Seeing as we don't know what's in this box, I don't want anymore fingerprints on it than there already is." Jim replied and placed the box on the dining room table. He opened the box and saw a stack of envelopes. He pulled them out and all that was written on the them was their names.

Khandi took Little Jimmy back to his room and put him back to bed and then made her way back into the dining room where the rest of them were reading the contents of their envelopes. All of them were wearing gloves now.

Stacey looked down at the piece of paper in her hand and frowned. "This is telling me to stay away from Casandra." she said to the others. "Well, that won't be too difficult. Considering I haven't seen her in almost three days."

Khandi slipped on a pair of gloves and picked up the envelope with her name on it. She opened it, pulled the piece of paper out and read the contents. "Yeah, he's telling me the same thing. To keep my distance from her."

"Who the hell is H.K.?" Stacey asked.

"No one you have to worry about." Cosmo replied. "At least if I have anything to say about it."

"That may be Cosmo but apparently this asshole knows where we live. I'm gonna have a detective stay at the house until this whole mess is over." Jim said.

"You really think that's necessary?" Stacey asked.

"It's more than necessary, Stace." Khandi replied. "Just trust us on that, okay?"

Stacey just nodded and sat down at the table.

* * *

Casandra and Andy were standing by his bed looking down at the contents laid out. Casandra had emptied the box and spread the notes and crime scene photos out on Andy's bed.

"All these notes are from H.K.?" Andy asked.

"Yeah. They started arriving after the third victim was found." Casandra replied.

"How many victims in total?"

"Eighteen."

"Does that include..."

"My family and partner?" Casandra finished. Andy nodded looking down at the picture of her daughter. "Yeah."

"What do remember about that day?"

"Not much." Casandra replied, sitting down on the couch. "My memories are fuzzy. The only thing I remember was being shot and before I lost consciousness I was holding my daughter as she died."

Tears fell from her eyes and Andy sat down on the couch and pulled her into a hug. She cried on his shoulder and then pulled herself away. "I need a drink." she said and made her way over to the wetbar.

Andy watched as she poured herself a double scotch. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Yeah, it makes me numb and I don't feel the pain anymore."

Andy stood up from the couch, walked over to her and took the glass out of her hand. "Sure, it kills the pain you're feeling now but in the long run it's not going to help you. Trust me I know."

Casandra watched as Andy dumped the drink down the sink and then sat back down on the couch. "But it helps me forget."

"Yeah, I thought that at one time too." Andy said and sat down beside her. "When Andy Jr. died, I had been on the wagon for two years. I saw him lying on that gurney in the hospital with a hole in his neck and something snapped inside of me. I just stopped caring about everything else at that point. I had a wife and a five day old son but I wasn't even thinking about them. I just wanted those guys dead and I gave up two years of sobriety because I couldn't cope. I chose to get my load on instead of being with my family. My wife ended up throwing me out, I got in a fight which left me with a battered face and busted ribs and I almost lost my job."

"How did you get through it?"

"My partner at the time, Bobby, who, two and a half years later, died from heart trouble, finally got through to me. I quit drinking, patched things up with my wife and concentrated on my son that was still here. And when Sylvia died, I didn't even think about falling off the wagon. I did shut everyone out, well everyone except my son Theo, but drinking didn't even cross my mind because I didn't want to let Sylvia down. Theo was only three when his mom died and I just stayed with him because I wanted to make sure that he was safe and well taken care of. Then my new partner, Danny, who is another person in my life that I lost, helped me return to the outside world. And when Danny was murdered, I did almost fall off the wagon again, but Connie, my wife, stopped me. Well she wasn't my wife at the time but she got me out of that bar before I took a drink. She took me to her place, made some coffee and took the time to talk to me." Casandra was sitting there listening to what Andy was saying and the new pieces of information about him losing two of his partners. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy for you but having a support system in your life helps."

"I can't involve them, Andy. He already killed my family once. I don't want it happening again." Casandra said and broke down into fresh tears.

"Casandra, I know what it's like to lose people I loved more than life but the assholes that took them from me are dead now. Which has given me a form of closure. I can't imagine what it's like for you knowing that the monster that killed your family is still out there free and coming after you again."

Casandra wiped the tears from her eyes and Andy handed her a kleenex. "Thank you."

He nodded. "Why don't you go and have a shower? You might feel better if you do."

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all." Andy replied.

* * *

Sam was sitting in the recliner in the living room feeding Mackenzie. He looked down into his daughter's face and images from those crime scene photos flashed in his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the photos of the little girl's body. He shook the images from his mind and tried to just concentrate on his daughter.

As he was watching Mackenzie drinking her bottle he looked at his cell phone sitting on the table. He had gotten no word from Casandra and he was worried that she might go and do something stupid.

He leaned forward, picked the phone up from the table and dialed her number. When her voice mail picked up he decided to leave a message. "Cassy, honey, it's Sam. I know you don't want to talk to me right now but I'm worried about you and I need to know you're okay. Please call me." he said and hung up.

* * *

Out on the deck, Cosmo and Khandi were talking. "How do things always get so out of control?" Cosmo asked.

"Because Cosmo, we don't know what's going to happen from one day to the next. And since Cas won't confide in us, we end up being targeted by this guy."

"Chances are we would have been anyway."

Khandi nodded. "I know. It's not Cassy's fault. I'm just so damn frustrated about this whole mess."

"We all are, Khan. But maybe Jimmy will come up with something."

"I don't know. Something tells me, there's going to be no prints or anything on those notes."

"It's still worth a shot." Sam said walking out onto the deck.

"Any word from Cas?" Cosmo asked.

Sam shook his head. "No. I left a message on her voice mail. I just hope she doesn't run off and do something stupid."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. After all she did tell us to give her some space." Khandi said, trying to ease Sam's fears.

That's what Sam was terrified of. He remembered back when he first met Casandra and he had to stop her from eating her own gun. "I hope you're right, Khandi."

* * *

Jim walked into the bullpen, praying that Casandra had left one of the notes behind. Before he had left the house, he placed the five letters plus the envelopes into evidence bags.

He made his way over to the table and noticed one of the letters still laying there. "Thank God." he mumbled.

He snatched up the letter, left the bullpen and headed over to CSI.

Once he arrived he made his way down the hall and saw Catherine coming out of the lab. "Cath, I need your help with something."

"Sure, Jim. What's up?"

He held out the evidence bags to her. "I need these tested for prints and the envelopes also checked for any DNA."

"Where did these come from?" Catherine asked.

"I think they may be from the guy who's responsible for killing those nine women."

"Really?"

Jim nodded. "Then I need the handwriting compared to this note."

Catherine took the note from Jim. "Anything else?" she smirked.

"Sorry to dump all this on you, Catherine."

"Jim, relax. It's my job."

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything, Jim. I want to catch this guy as much as you do."

Before Jim could respond his cell phone went off. He looked down at the screen and read the message: 419. Parking lot of the MGM.

"I gotta go. Let me know what you find out with those."

"You'll be my first call." Catherine replied as Jim took off down the hall.

* * *

Casandra came out of the bathroom and noticed Andy reading the notes from H.K. He looked up when he felt someone watching him. "How was your shower?" he asked.

"I feel somewhat better." she replied.

"Your cell phone went off about fifteen minutes ago."

"Who was calling?"

Andy shrugged. "Didn't look. It's not my phone so it's none of my business."

Casandra smirked and picked up her phone. She noticed she had one missed call and it was from Sam. She turned the phone on, dialed in her code and listened to the message. 'Cassy, honey, it's Sam. I know you don't want to talk to me right now but I'm worried about you and I need to know you're okay. Please call me.' "Shit!" she cursed.

"Everything okay?"

"It was my husband."

"I take it by your disappointment at missing his call you're ready to talk to him?"

"No, I'm not ready to confide in him yet. But I don't want him worrying about me either."

"So, call him. Tell him you're okay and ease his mind."

Casandra walked to the other side of the room and dialed Sam's cell. After three rings his voice mail picked up. "Fuck!" Casandra cursed again. "Sam, it's Casandra. I was hoping you would answer. I wish I could tell you everything Sam but I don't want you getting hurt. I love you and the kids. Please don't worry about me, I'm okay." she was starting to get choked up. She shut her phone and made her way back over to Andy.

"Short conversation." Andy stated.

"Voice mail. I left a message."

Before Andy could reply they heard sirens wailing. "They sound close." Andy said and walked over to the window.

Casandra walked up beside him and looked down into the parking lot of the MGM. "I'd say they're close. They're right down there in the parking lot."

"Come on. Let's go see what's going on."

Casandra followed Andy out of the room and they met up with John in the hallway. "Hey, there's something brewing down in the parking lot."

"Yeah, we know." Andy replied and made his way to the elevator as Casandra and John followed close behind.

* * *

Jim got out of his car just as Khandi, Cosmo and Sam were getting out of theirs. "So what's going on here?" Khandi asked.

"I don't know." Jim replied. "I just got here."

Just as they were making their way over to the car they noticed Casandra making her way into the parking lot with Andy and John.

Sam stopped and glared at Andy. "That's why I couldn't get a hold you because you were with _him_?"

Andy stepped toward Sam. "Sam, take it easy."

"You stay out of this!" Sam said angrily. "This is between me and my wife!"

"Sam, we were just talking." Casandra said.

"Talking? So that's what it's called now, huh?"

"Sam!? Don't even go there!" Casandra yelled. She could not believe what Sam was insinuating.

Andy shook his head in disbelief. "Sam, she was just talking to me about H.K."

That angered Sam even more. "You can't talk to me but you can confide in him?"

"Sam, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just Andy knows what I'm going through." Casandra said trying to calm her husband down.

"Oh, he does, does he?"

"Yeah, Sam, I do. Both my wife and my oldest son were murdered. Along with one of my partners."

That bit of information threw Sam for a loop. Suddenly he understood why Casandra was able to talk to Andy so easily. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay." Andy replied quietly.

Jim couldn't believe what he had just heard. "Andy J. was murdered? When? How?"

Andy looked at Jim. He could remember a time when they would take Andy Jr. on ride alongs in their patrol car. "Fourteen years ago." Andy answered. "He was shot in a bar trying to stop two skels from raping a waitress and robbing the place."

"I'm sorry, Andy. I never knew." Jim said solemnly. "And Katie too?"

Andy shook his head. "No, not Katie. My second wife Sylvia. She was an A.D.A. She was shot in the courthouse by a grieving father trying to get vengence on the asshole that murdered his daughter."

"Jesus. I guess you do know what Cassy went through." Sam stated.

Nobody knew what to say at that point so everyone made their way over to the crime scene. John and Andy looked at each when they saw uniforms and the M.E. gathered around their rental car.

"What have we got here, Metcalfe?" Jim asked.

"Male D.B. His throat was cut and uh..."

"What is it?" Khandi asked.

"Uh, his... um... penis was cut off."

"His penis?" Cosmo asked.

"Yeah and inserted into his mouth."

"Ouch." Sam replied. "Who's the car registered to?"

Metcalfe looked down at his notebook and then back at Sam. "To a Andrew..."

"Sipowicz." Andy finished. "That's my rental car. Any idea who the dead guy is?"

"His ID said Dominic Bonnati." Metcalfe replied.

"No way!" Casandra said and made her way to the car.

"There's also a note tacked to his forehead."

Casandra walked over to the car and stared at the gruesome scene. She pulled the note off of his forehead and read it out loud. "My Dearest Casandra. It would seem that your so called 'family' couldn't keep you safe so I had to take matters into my own hands. Yours forever, H.K."

"That son of a bitch!" Sam yelled.

Andy looked at John. "I guess Dominic wasn't H.K. after all."

**TBC...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Casandra stared at Dominic again. She was so sure that he was H.K. But now it seemed like that monster was still out there and she had to stop him. She looked away from the car and over to the group that was standing just behind her. Yes, she had to stop him before she lost the people she cared about.

She decided that she needed to get away for a while. "I'll see you guys later." she said and took off towards her rental.

"Wait, Cassy, where are you..." Khandi started to call after her but it was too late. She saw Casandra climbing into the vehicle and speeding out of the parking lot.

Andy watched Casandra speed off and then turned his attention to Sam. "Can we talk?" he asked and motioned his head away from the group.

Sam looked at the rest of the Cavalry and then nodded. He and Andy walked away from the group to talk in privacy. "What is it?" Sam asked tersely.

"You need to know what's going on."

"So, tell me." Sam replied. He was slowly losing his patience with this whole situation. Especially where Andy was concerned.

Andy sighed. "Look, this H.K. asshole is the guy who murdered her family..."

"Yeah we figured that much out already." Sam interrupted. Not wanting to think about those pictures of Mackenzie again.

"I take it you've seen the photos?" Andy asked.

Sam was getting pissed at this interrogation. "Yes! I've seen the goddamn pictures! I saw that little girl laying there with her throat cut!" Sam yelled. "And now that animal is after my wife!"

"And that's why she hasn't told you any of this." Andy yelled back.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"She doesn't want you involved in this because she's afraid to lose another family."

Suddenly Sam clued into why Casandra was distancing herself from him. She was trying to take this monster down herself to keep everyone else safe. Sam glared at Andy and started to walk off.

"Sammy! Where are you going?" Cosmo called out.

"Stay out of this!" Sam yelled back.

Khandi ran and caught up with Sam. She grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Sam, let us help you with this." she pleaded.

"No! I need to handle this myself." he replied and started to walk away again.

Cosmo walked up beside Khandi and called out to Sam. "Sam! At least let us come with you for back up!"

"I don't need you."

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Cosmo asked. The situation was getting to all of them and suddenly Cosmo wasn't that immature guy that he'd been over the last several years. "Look, Sam, you can't do this. I know how you feel, I feel the same way. I love Cassy too. But this is wrong. I'm telling you this as a friend."

"I'm not your friend."

Cosmo, at that moment after everything they had been through over the years, felt like Sam had just stabbed him in the back with that one statement. "Fine. Fuck you!" he said and started to walk away. Then he stopped and turned back toward Sam. "You want to kill this bastard, you go ahead, you do it. But you remember this, you forget every goddamn thing you ever taught me about this job. The rules, the regulations, the code. You do this Sam and it's all about you. It's not about Cassy anymore, it's about you! The great Sam Gerard."

Sam was staring stoicly at Cosmo. "Yes, I am." he said and started to walk away.

"And you always have to win."

Sam stopped and turned back to Cosmo. "Yes, I do. She's my wife and I'll deal with this."

Khandi was starting to get frustrated herself. "We know she's you're wife Sam. But Casandra's also my sister and I want to help her too."

Sam didn't move. Khandi thought she might have finally got through to him. But then he shook his head and started off again. "Stay out of this!"

Khandi placed her hand on Cosmo's shoulder. "Give him some time, Cos. I'm sure he didn't mean what he said." she said, referring to Sam's comment about not considering Cosmo as his friend.

Cosmo looked at Khandi and she could see tears glistening in his eyes. He shook his head and sighed. "Fuck him!"

"You don't mean that, Cosmo." Khandi replied.

"He always has to do things his own way. Well, this time I won't be there to back him up." Cosmo said and walked away from Khandi.

Jim was watching everything from the sidelines and then he made his way over to Andy. "You mind telling the rest of us what the hell is going on?"

Andy nodded and sighed. "Yeah, okay."

* * *

Casandra walked into the diner and made her way to a back booth. She had been coming here to get away from everything ever since Sam had introduced her to the place.

She sat down and stared out the window until Maggie, the waitress, made her way over to the table. "Hey, Casandra, what can I get for you?"

"Just some coffee, Maggie. Thanks."

Maggie nodded and walked away. She returned a moment later with a saucer, cup and the coffee pot. She poured Casandra a cup and walked away.

Casandra stared down at the steaming hot, black liquid and contemplated on how she was going to catch H.K. One thing she did know was that she wanted to do this on her own. Hopefully without anyone else getting hurt.

"Cas? Honey, we need to talk." Sam said sitting down.

"Go away." Casandra said, not even bothering to look up at him.

Sam looked across the table at his wife. "No. I'm not letting you push me away anymore."

"Fine." she said getting up. "I'll go away."

Sam stood up and grabbed her arm. "You're not going anywhere. I'm sick and tired of you running away when I try to talk to you."

"I'm not running away, Sam. I'm walking. Now fucking let go of me!"

Sam was more frustrated than he'd ever been in his entire life. "Stop with the smart fucking comments. I know why you're doing this. Andy told me."

"What? What the fuck did he tell you? He has no fucking right!!" She said still standing.

"Cassy, let's sit back down and talk about this."

"No! You tell me what the fuck he told you! Right now!"

Sam sighed. "Look, honey, I know that you feel that if you confide in me, that something bad is going to happen and that you're afraid you're going to lose another family at the hands of this monster but if you let me help you we can get this prick."

Casandra shook her head. "No, Sam. I can't take that risk. You're too important to me."

"Yeah, well, going after this asshole by yourself is not an option. I won't let you do that."

"Oh, what? Because your the great fucking, Sam Gerard? I can do this on my own without you."

"No you can't. I know you like to think you can handle things on your own but you have to learn to accept help sometimes."

"Really? Um, no, I don't think so."

"You don't have a choice in the matter. When it comes to keeping you safe I'm going to do everything I can."

"Look, everyone is so concerned with my well being and keeping me safe that you've all forgotten that there's 27 victims to get justice for. No one seems to be concerned about them."

"Are you sure you're thinking for these 27 victims and not just 3?" Sam asked.

"You think I can't be objective?"

"No, I don't. Not when it comes to this guy."

Casandra finally pulled herself from Sam's grip. "And that's why I have to do this on my own." she said and made her way out of the diner.

* * *

Andy had explained to Jim why Casandra was acting the way she was acting and that he had a feeling she was going to go after this guy alone.

Jim knew this whole situation was out of control the minute they had made the connections that their victims were all killed by the same killer. He knew he had to start being objective about this case and try not to focus on Casandra as this maniac's next victim. No he had to stop this animal before there were anymore victims period.

He pulled his Charger into the driveway of their house and made his way inside. He was met by silence. No screaming kids, no loud music or TV, nothing.

Jim pulled his gun from his holster and made his way up the stairs. As he rounded the corner into the living room he noticed a shadow cross the wall and spun around, pointing his Sig at the intruder.

He was surprised when he came face to face with Casandra. "Shit! I could've shot you." he said, lowering the gun.

"Sorry. I was hoping to be gone before anyone got home." Casandra replied.

"Where are you going?" Jim asked, concerned. He didn't like the fact that she was still running away.

"I'm going to stay in a hotel until I catch this guy."

Her intentions were not lost on Jim. "Cas, you can't go this alone. Let us help you. We all do the same job and we all know the risks that come with it." Casandra shook her head. "Look, Cassy, I know you're afraid to lose another family but I promise you, that's not going to happen."

"You can't promise that to me, Jimmy. You don't know what's going to happen."

Jim sighed. "You're right, I don't. But I don't want anything happening to you because you won't accept our help."

Casandra was about to speak but Jim stopped her.

"Just listen to my reasoning for a second okay." he said and continued when he saw her nod in affirmation. "Say you go after this asshole alone and something happens to you, who's to say he won't come after the rest of us anyway when you're gone. This is just some sick game to him. He doesn't care who he hurts. And I think you know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, I do." she replied, quietly.

Jim felt like maybe he was finally breaking through her stubborn exterior. "Then you'll let us help you catch this guy? Help you get justice for your family and the other 24 innocent people that he murdered?"

Casandra mulled over everything that Jim had said. She looked her brother-in-law and friend in the eye and knew he wanted to help her. Not just her, she knew the type of man that Jim was and that he wanted justice for these victims as much as she did. But she still couldn't risk anything happening to them. She couldn't bare being the cause of this animal taking away another family.

Casandra picked up her duffel and walked toward the door. "I'm sorry, Jim, but this is something I have to do on my own."

"Casandra, please, don't do this." Jim said. But it was too late. His pleas went unheard as Casandra was already out the door. Jim sighed and made his way into the kitchen. He noticed a note sitting on the kitchen table. He picked it up and read it.

'Hey guys, just wanted to inform you that me and Jamie took the kids to the park. Don't worry, we have our police escort with us. Just wanted to get the kids out for some fresh air. They were getting restless being cooped up in the house. Hope to see you all later. Love, Stacey.'

Jim had come home to check on the kids but since they weren't there, he decided to head back to the station and check in with the rest of the group.

* * *

Khandi was sitting in her office mulling over everything that has happened over the last few days. On one hand she could understand Casandra's need to keep everyone safe, she would do the same thing if their places were reversed. But then on the other hand she was damn frustrated at not being able to get through to her and helping her with this situation.

As these thoughts were going through her mind she saw Cosmo walk past her office. She jumped up from her chair and ran after him. "Cosmo!"

He stopped when he heard her voice but he didn't turn around.

Khandi caught up to him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "How you holding up?"

He looked up at her. His eyes were red and puffy and Khandi knew at that moment that he had been crying. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Cosmo, don't you push me away too." Khandi said, taking a firmer grip on his arm. "Come on, we can talk in my office."

Cosmo allowed her to take him to her office and he plopped down on her couch. Khandi grabbed the bottle of whiskey out of her top drawer and two glasses. She poured them each a generous drink and handed one of the glasses to him.

He took it gratefully and downed the drink in one single gulp. Khandi sipped hers as she watched him stand up and pour himself another drink.

After he downed that one he turned and looked at her. "You know what Sammy's problem is?" he asked rhetorically, not wanting her answer. "He's too damn proud. Won't except help from anyone. Well, you know what? I'm done with him. From now on he can deal with all this bullshit on his own."

Khandi sat on the couch and listened to Cosmo ranting. She knew he was hurting and her heart went out to him. She knew deep down he wasn't the immature, sarcastic prankster that he let on to be. She knew he had feelings, just like the rest of them, and could easily be hurt. Especially by Sam. A man Khandi knew that Cosmo looked up to and respected. She knew that Sam was Cosmo's mentor. That he taught him a lot as Cosmo was making his way up the ranks in the Marshals office. And now, with one little sentence, Sam made Cosmo believe that he didn't give a damn about him.

Cosmo downed a third and fourth glass and Khandi helped him over to the couch. "I think you should slow down, Cos."

"The hell with him." Cosmo slurred. "He's not my friend? Yeah, well, I'm not his friend either."

A single tear ran down Cosmo's cheek and Khandi's heart broke at the site. She put her arm around him and pulled him into a hug.

This was how Jim found them when he walked into her office a while later. He stopped and looked at the scene before him. "What's going on?" he asked.

Khandi looked up at the sound of Jim's voice. "He's upset." Khandi replied.

"About Sam?" Jim asked.

Khandi nodded and looked down at Cosmo. That was when she realized he had fallen asleep. Jim walked over to the couch and helped Khandi lay Cosmo down.

She looked down at Cosmo and listened to him softly snoring. "Sam really hurt him. Cosmo thinks he doesn't give a damn about him."

"Give it some time, honey. Sam's priorities are focused on Casandra right now. She's the only one he's thinking about."

"Yeah, well, we all want to keep her safe but we're not going around hurting other people in the process."

Jim could tell that Khandi was upset herself with the whole Sam and Cosmo situation. Although he knew some of that was frustration from Casandra not excepting their help.

Jim placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Come on. Catherine called me and told me she may have something from those notes and envelopes I gave her."

Khandi took one last look at Cosmo and then followed Jim out of her office.

* * *

Jim and Khandi walked into the bullpen and saw Catherine sitting at a table with Andy and John. "What do you have for us, Catherine?" Jim asked as he and Khandi sat down.

Catherine had the notes and envelopes spread out on the table. "Okay, first off I had the handwriting compared and they were all written by the same person. Unfortunately, there was no DNA but I did pull some prints off them."

"Please. tell us you got a hit." Andy said.

"I did." Catherine replied. "To a Henry Kallenbach."

"Henry Kallenbach." Jim repeated. "H.K."

**TBC...**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Are you telling us that this prick was actually in the system?" Andy asked.

"That's the name that popped up when I ran the prints through IAFIS." Catherine replied.

"What's he in the system for?" Jim asked.

Catherine looked down at the printout on the table and read off the list. "Multiple drug felonies, possessing illegal weapons, money laundering and assault."

"That's quite the rap sheet." John stated.

"There's something off here." Jim said. "I can't believe this guy would have a sheet."

Andy looked around at the four other people sitting around the table. "It could be that he finally slipped up and don't realize it."

"There's only one way to find out." Khandi said, breaking her own silence. Everyone turned their attention to her. "We have to find Henry Kallenbach."

* * *

Casandra closed the door to her hotel room and sat her duffel bag down on the bed. She didn't even have a chance to settle in before she heard a knock on the door.

She sighed and stared at the door for a second. "Who the fuck knows I'm here?" she asked herself as she walked over to the door.

She looked out through the peephole but couldn't see anyone. She pulled her gun from her holster and slid the lock free on the door. She turned the knob and slowly opened the door.

She peered out into the hallway. There was no one there. The hallway was completely empty. Empty, except for the envelope laying at her feet.

She looked down with a raised eyebrow but picked the envelope up and went back into her hotel room. She shut the door, engaged the lock and walked over to the couch.

She placed her gun on the table, sat down and looked at the envelope in her hands. It was plain except for her name typed neatly on the front.

Casandra opened the envelope and pulled the single sheet of white paper out. She unfolded it and looked down at the handwriting that she had become so familiar with.

The note simply said: 'My Dearest Casandra, It won't be long now until we're finally together. I promise. Yours forever, H.K.'

As she stared at the note she heard another knock on the door. She dropped the note on the couch, picked her gun up from the table and walked over to the door.

She looked out through the peephole again and sighed when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. "Sam, go away."

"Casandra, let me in please." he said through the door.

"No, Sam. There's a reason I'm staying here. I want to be alone."

"Cassy, please. I want to help you with this."

Casandra sighed and shook her head. Why couldn't everyone just leave her alone and let her deal with this H.K. business herself.

"Sam, I'm not gonna say this again, go away and leave me alone."

"At least come home and see the babies. It's been four days."

Casandra shook her head again. Now Sam was trying to use the kids to guilt her into leaving the hotel but she wasn't going to give in. Not until she knew H.K. couldn't hurt anyone anymore.

Sam spoke again when she didn't reply. "Okay, you want to be alone, fine. Just remember this, you keep pushing me away and you might end up alone permanently."

Casandra stared at the door in disbelief. She couldn't believe what Sam was saying to her. After everything she had been through, now the man she loved more than life was threatening to leave her.

"Sam..." she said and opened the door. But it was too late. Sam was gone.

* * *

Khandi, Andy and John were still sitting in the bullpen looking over the casefiles. Catherine had left to go home and Jim was off making phone calls.

Khandi stood up from the table and walked over to the board where all nine victims were posted. She stood there looking at them hoping that maybe something would click.

She was still staring at them when Jim walked in a half hour later. "I just talked to Kallenbach's P.O." Jim said.

"What did he have to say?" Andy asked.

Jim glanced over at Khandi and then looked back to Andy. "Said he's staying in a halfway house and he's been clean since he got out a year ago."

"Oh yeah, squeaky clean." Andy stated sarcastically. "If you don't count the 27 people he brutally murdered."

"You get a location on that halfway house?" John asked.

"Yeah. It's down on D street." Jim replied and walked over to Khandi. "Honey? You okay?"

"She's been staring at those photos for a half hour." Andy said.

"And nothing's jumping out at me." Khandi replied.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Sam walked into the bullpen. "Have you seen Casandra?" Jim asked.

"She's got a room at the Tangiers." Sam replied.

Khandi glared at Sam which didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room. "Excuse me, I'm going to go and check on Cosmo." she said coldly and pushed past Sam in a huff.

"What was that about?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry about it, right now." Jim said. "We may have a line on H.K."

Sam stared at Jim in shock. "Are you serious?"

Jim nodded. "Catherine found a usable print on one of the letters and his name popped up in IAFIS. The guy has a lengthy rap sheet."

"So, who is this cocksucker?"

Jim handed Henry Kallenbach's file to Sam. "We're about to check out a halfway house he's been staying at."

Sam looked down at the file, looked back up at Jim and then left the bullpen with the file still in his hand.

* * *

Khandi walked into her office and noticed Cosmo sitting up on the couch with his head in his hands. "Hey, Cosmo."

Cosmo looked up at her. His eyes were still red. "Hey." he replied solemnly.

Khandi walked over to the couch and sat down beside him. "You feeling any better?"

Cosmo shook his head. "No."

"I've been thinking, Cos."

He looked over at her. "About what?"

"Taking myself off this case."

Cosmo sighed. "I've been thinking about the same thing."

Khandi nodded. "Maybe we should both recuse ourselves."

Before Cosmo had a chance to speak, Jim appeared in the doorway. "Let's go. We're going to pick Kallenbach up at the halfway house."

Khandi looked up at Jim. "We're not coming with you." she stated.

"What?" Jim asked in disbelief.

"I said we're not coming. We've both decided to take ourselves off this case."

"Khandi, you can't be serious?"

"I am. You can do this without us."

"This isn't like you to take yourself off a case. Especially a big one like this."

"Yeah, well, things change. Just go, Jim, before you lose this guy."

Jim stared at his wife but then turned and stalked off down the hall with Andy and John in tow.

Cosmo looked over at Khandi. "It's for the best." he said. "Us taking ourselves off this. Cas and Sam don't need us anyway."

As much as Khandi sympathized with Casandra, she couldn't help but agree with Cosmo.

* * *

Casandra was pacing back and forth in her hotel room. She couldn't believe Sam threatened to leave her and as devastating as that though was it wasn't what was consuming her at the moment.

She knew in her gut that something bad was happening but she just couldn't put her finger on what that bad thing was.

Just then she heard her cell going off. She looked down at the caller ID and answered immediately. "Martin, what happened?"

"Something bad, Cassy. I need to see you."

Casandra gave him directions to her hotel, hung up the phone and continued pacing. She knew there was something wrong and she had a bad feeling that it involved Martin.

Twenty minutes later, her pacing was interrupted by a firm knock on the door. She looked out the peephole and then opened it.

"Martin." Casandra said.

Martin looked up at Casandra and tears filled his eyes. "She's gone, Cassy."

"Who's gone?" Casandra asked as she guided Martin into her hotel room.

Martin sat down the couch. "Vicky. She's gone."

Casandra sat down beside him and placed her arm around him. "What happened? Where is she?"

"We were driving home, when this car came out of nowhere and ran us off the road. I ran into a tree and then I heard this loud pop. I looked over and..." Martin stopped and took a shaky breath. "... and half of Vicky's head was gone."

Casandra was in shock at the information. "Someone ran you off the road and then shot Vicky. Why? Who would do that?"

Martin shook his head. "I only caught a glimpse of the driver as he sped away."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Casandra gave Martin's shoulder a squeeze, stood up and walked over to the door. She opened it without looking and was surprised when she saw Sam standing there.

Sam placed his foot in the door, thinking she was going to shut it on him. As he looked into the room he noticed Martin sitting on the couch. "Who's that?' he asked with a scowl.

Casandra looked back at Martin and then back to Sam. "Sam, what are you doing here?" she asked, avoiding Sam's question about Martin.

"You want to catch H.K., right?"

Martin jumped up from the couch and made his way over to the door when Sam mentioned H.K. "What do you know about this asshole?"

Sam glared at the stranger in his wife's hotel room. "Just his name and his whereabouts." Sam replied holding up the file.

Casandra grabbed the file from Sam and looked over her shoulder at Martin. "Come on, let's get this prick."

Martin followed Casandra down the hallway and left a stunned Sam watching their retreating backs disappear around the corner.

* * *

Jim pulled his Charger up in front of the halfway house and he, Andy and John made their way up the front steps. They made their way inside and were met by the counselor that ran the place.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" he asked.

Jim showed his shield. "Detective Jim Brass, Las Vegas Police. This Sergeant Sipowicz and Detective Clark. We're looking for Henry Kallenbach."

"Can I ask what this is in regards to?"

"No. Just tell us if he's here." Jim replied.

"He's upstairs in his room. Third door on the left. But I'm telling you, whatever it is you think Henry did, you're wrong."

Jim, Andy and John made their way up the stairs to the second floor. "Yeah, you'd be amazed at how many times we're wrong." Andy stated over his shoulder.

Jim stopped in front of Kallenbach's door and knocked. "Yeah, who is it?" a voice asked from inside the room.

"Police, Mr. Kallenbach. Open the door." Jim replied.

"What do you want?"

"Just open the door."

They heard the lock disengage and all three detectives placed their hands on their sidearms. The door opened and a tall, skinny man with a shaved head stepped out into the hallway.

"What's this about?"

"You need to come with us, Mr. Kallenbach."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what this is about."

Jim took his arm. "Come on, we'll explain everything down at the station."

Kallenbach pulled his arm back and took a defensive stand. "No! I want to know now! I'm not gonna be railroaded for something I didn't do!"

Andy stepped forward. "Look, we can cuff you and take you out of here by force if we have to but one way or another you're coming with us."

"Mr. Kallenbach we want to ask you some questions about a serious of murders that have taken place." Jim added.

"The hell you will! I didn't kill no one!"

Jim looked at Andy and they both charged Kallenbach and pushed him up against the wall. John stepped forward and cuffed his hands behind his back.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Kallenback kept yelling as they took him down the stairs and out the door.

As they were making their way down the front steps with Kallenbach, they noticed Sam's truck and another car pull up out in front.

Sam jumped from his truck as Casandra and Martin got out of her rental car. "Is that him?" Sam asked, walking over to Jim.

"I didn't kill anybody!"

Casandra and Martin walked over to the group and looked at Kallenbach. "It's not him." they said at the same time.

"How do you know that?" Andy asked. "You told me you never seen him."

"Gut instinct." Casandra replied as Jim placed Kallenbach in the back of the Charger.

"Listen to her!" Kallenbach yelled. "I didn't kill anybody."

"Shut the fuck up!" Andy said and slammed the door.

Casandra looked at Jim. "I'm telling you, Jimmy. That's not H.K."

Sam looked at Casandra and could tell just by looking into her eyes that she believed that Jim had the wrong man in the back of his car. "I think she's right, Jim."

"She is." Martin said and started to walk back to the car.

Sam followed him, grabbed his arm and spun him around. "Who the hell are you?"

Martin looked at Sam's hand, then back up to his face. "Get your fucking hands off me!" he yelled.

Casandra made her way over and got between Martin and Sam. "Don't touch him Sam!" she said and looked at Martin. "Come on, let's go. He's not the right guy anyway."

Sam watched Casandra leave with the stranger as Jim walked up beside him. "Who was that guy, anyway?" Jim asked.

Sam's brow furrowed. "I have no idea. But he just got that same look that Cassy gets when she's been backed into a corner or put on the spot." he replied and made his way back to his truck.

Jim looked back at Andy and John. "Okay, let's get this guy back to the station."

**TBC...**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Casandra and Martin walked into her hotel room. She shut the door as he walked over to the window and stared out at the lights below.

Casandra walked up behind him. "I'm so sorry about Vicky."

Martin swallowed the lump his throat and continued to watch the lights. "Me too. I should have protected her better."

"Martin, you can't blame yourself. You had no way of knowing you'd be ambushed like that."

He shook his head, sighed and walked away from the window. "You mind if I take a shower?" he asked.

"No. Go ahead. I'll order us something to eat while you're in there." Casandra replied.

Martin walked toward the bathroom and as he removed his jacket a piece of paper fell out of his pocket and landed on the floor.

As he closed the door to the bathroom, Casandra noticed the piece of paper and picked it up. "Hey, you dropped something." she said, but he couldn't hear her because the shower was already running.

Casandra walked over to the bed, sat down and looked down at the note she had picked up. She couldn't believe what she was reading: 'Martin, it's only a matter of time now. I'm closer to getting what I want. H.K.'

Why was H.K. sending notes to Martin? More importantly why hadn't Martin told her about the note? It was something she was going to find out when Martin got out of his shower.

* * *

Andy and John took Kallenbach to an interrogation room. They sat him down at the table and sat across from him.

"Look, I'm telling you guys, I don't know anything about any murders."

"Is that so?" Andy asked. "How do you think we found out about you?"

"I don't know, man. But wherever you got your information it's wrong."

Jim walked into the room carrying a folder. He placed the folder on the table in front of Andy and then leaned against the table that was against the back wall.

Andy opened the folder and took out some photos. He placed them on the table in front of Kallenbach. "You've never seen these women before?"

Kallenbach looked down at the photos and cringed when he saw the dead women. He pushed the photos back towards Andy. "I didn't do that. I've never seen those women before in my life."

"Right. Just like you haven't been sending notes to one of our fellow detectives." John said.

Kallenbach looked at John like he was crazy. "I didn't write any notes and I sure as hell didn't send any to no cop."

"Notes we found your fingerprints on, Henry."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You did not find my prints on any notes sent to a cop."

Jim stood up from the table and walked over to Kallenbach. "Yeah, Henry, we did. That's how we knew where to find you. You have quite the rap sheet."

"That was the past man. I haven't been in trouble since I got out last year."

"Sure. If you don't count those women you murdered." Andy stated.

"I didn't kill no women! I didn't do this! And there's no way in hell I'm letting you pin this on me!"

"Then explain how your prints got on these notes." John said.

"Maybe they were planted. All's I know is that I didn't put them there."

Jim looked at Andy and John. "Can I talk to you guys outside?" The three detectives left the interrogation room. "Keep an eye on him, Mitch."

"You got it." Mitch replied and walked into the room.

Jim looked at Andy and John. "I don't think this guy did it."

"I'm getting that same vibe." John agreed. "We've gone at him from all angles and he's not folding. Either he's a good actor or he's really innocent."

"My vote goes to the latter but we need to keep him here until we can prove it." Andy said.

"I agree." Jim said. "But maybe H.K. is trying to frame this guy. Maybe Henry's prints were planted because the real H.K. knew about his record and knew he'd come up in the system and we'd focus on him."

Andy nodded. "Yeah. But we can't take any chances. We keep him here until we prove he's H.K. or the real H.K. makes a mistake."

* * *

Since Khandi and Cosmo had taken themselves off the case they had decided to just take some time off all together. They both just needed to take a step back from everything and spend time with their kids.

They walked into the house and Khandi made her way into the living room. Jim had gotten Sofia and Vartann to stay at the house to make sure that Stacey and the kids were safe and both detectives were sitting in the living room when Khandi walked in.

Sofia was sitting on the floor playing with Little Jimmy, that is until he saw his mom. "Mommy!" he yelled and ran to her.

"Hey, baby." Khandi said and scooped him up.

"Where were you, Mommy?" he asked.

"Mommy had to work late at the office."

"I don't like it."

"Me neither." Khandi replied and kissed him on his forehead.

Cosmo walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch and Noah ran over to him. "Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy." Cosmo replied and pulled Noah onto his lap. "Have you been a good boy for Mommy?"

"I always a good boy, Daddy." Noah replied, grinning.

Cosmo chuckled and pulled Noah into a hug. In some ways Khandi and Cosmo taking themselves off the case was a plus because they got to be home with the kids.

Khandi put Little Jimmy down and looked at Sofia and Vartann. "I don't think you guys need to stick around. Me and Cosmo will be here."

"I thought you were all working on finding this serial killer." Sofia said.

"Not anymore." Cosmo replied. "We took ouselves off the case."

"Why?" Vartann asked.

"Personal reasons." Khandi replied. "Besides, Jim has it handled."

Stacey walked in from the kitchen and was surprised to see Khandi and Cosmo home. "Well, howdy, strangers. To what do we owe this honor of you gracing us with your presence?"

Khandi smirked at her sister and shook her head. "To us just wanting to be home. Can we leave it at that for now?"

"Sure." Stacey said simply. "Will we be seeing the other ghostly members of the family anytime soon?"

"Who knows." Cosmo said. "And right now I don't really care."

Stacey looked across the room at her husband. "Should I ask what that's about?"

"Not now, Stace." Khandi answered. "I'll fill you in later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Well, I guess we should go then." Sofia stated.

Little Jimmy looked up at Sofia. "I don't want you to go, Sofie." he said.

Sofia bent down and ruffled Little Jimmy's hair. "Don't worry, sweetie, I'll come back see you real soon okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise." Sofia smiled and Little Jimmy smiled back at her.

"What's this about?" Khandi asked Stacey as she watched the scene before.

"I think Little Jimmy has his first crush. He's been clinging to her ever since she got here last night." Stacey replied and Khandi chuckled. "What so funny?"

"Just imagining the proud look on Jim's face when I tell him his son's got a crush on Sofia."

Stacey joined in the chuckling as Sofia and Vartann made their way out to the door. Khandi followed them. "Thanks guys. I really appreciate you staying here and looking out for Stacey and the kids."

"It was no trouble at all." Sofia said and she and Vartann made their way out the door.

"You need us to stay again just call." Vartann added.

"Thanks Tony."

"Bye Sofie!" Little Jimmy called out as he stood beside his mom.

"Bye, bye Jimmy." Sofie called back and waved to him.

"Okay buddy come on back inside." Khandi said. Little Jimmy followed his mom back into the house. "You like Sofia, don't you little man?"

Little Jimmy shook his head emphatically. "Yeah. She's nice and pretty."

Khandi chuckled in amusement at her son. "Okay, come on, let's go get ready for bed."

* * *

Casandra was still sitting on the bed with note in her hand when Martin came out of the bathroom drying his hair with a towel.

Casandra looked up when she heard the door open. "Why didn't you tell me about this note?" she asked angrily.

"What note?" he asked confused.

"This note!" she yelled and shoved it toward him. "How could you keep this from me, Martin? Your own sister! Your own fucking twin for that matter! You know what this bastard has done to my life and you don't tell me that he's sending you notes."

Martin looked down at the note that he was now holding. He couldn't believe that a note from H.K. was addressed to him. "Where did you get this?"

"It fell out of your pocket when you took your jacket off. How could you..."

"Cassy, this is the first time I've seen this."

Casandra looked into Martin's eyes and knew he was telling the truth. "But it was in your pocket."

Suddenly a very dark look overtook Martin's features and he felt like breaking something. "That son of a bitch!" he yelled and kicked the waste basket across the room. "That lousy son of a bitch killed Vicky!"

Casandra grabbed Martin and pulled him into a hug as he broke down in tears. Casandra was the only person in his life that he had ever or would ever cry in front of. Being that they were twins, they had a special bond with each other, that even though they had been apart, was still strong.

Casandra held her brother and cried with him as he cried for his wife. Sadly, she knew exactly what he was going through. And now it would seem that H.K. had taken another member of her family. This was a major reason why she was pushing her family here away from herself because she didn't want to lose them at the hands of this monster.

As the reunited twins were crying on the floor over the loss of someone they had both loved, a knock came on the door. Casandra looked toward the sound and slowly picked herself up off the floor.

She wiped her face and walked over to the door. She opened it and saw Sam standing on the other side. "Can I come in?" he asked.

Casandra hesitated for a moment but then allowed Sam to enter the room. "What do you want, Sam?"

He took in her appearance and knew she had been crying. "What's going on here?" Sam asked and glanced over at Martin.

Casandra picked the note up from the floor and handed it to Sam. He read it and looked at Martin. "Who's Martin?"

"I am." Martin replied and stood up.

"Okay, now you want to fill me in on how you two know each other and why this asshole is sending you notes."

Casandra sighed and sat down on the bed. "Sam..." she said and hesitated. "Martin's my brother."

"Your brother?"

"My twin brother to be exact."

Sam looked between the a little dumbfounded. But suddenly the look that Martin gave him at the halfway house made more sense. Now he understood why at that moment he had reminded him of Casandra.

"Wow, why didn't you ever tell me you had a brother?"

"Martin doesn't want Khandi and Stacey to know about him so I couldn't risk telling you and them finding out."

"What does Khandi and Stacey have to do with you having a brother?"

"We're twins, Sam, which means..."

"I'm their brother too." Martin finished.

Casandra was shocked that Martin had actually admitted to that fact to Sam. For the longest time he didn't want to accept the fact that his father had another family. Even though that other family had come before he and Casandra had.

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only did his wife have a twin brother but Khandi and Stacey had a brother they knew nothing about.

Sam shook his head and looked at Martin. "Okay, so why is this H.K. prick sending you notes?"

"I didn't know anything about it until Cassy showed it to me. She said it fell out my jacket pocket."

"Sammy, Martin's here because he just lost his wife, Vicky. And I'm starting to believe that H.K. killed her." Casandra said as her cell phone rang. She answered it without looking at the ID. "Riggs."

Sam shook his head at her slip and using her maiden name but decided to let it go for the moment. He was just glad that she let him into the room and was actually talking to him again.

"Hello, Casandra." the voice on the other end said. "It's so good to finally hear your voice."

Casandra's face went deathly pale and Martin knew something was up. "How did you get my number?" she asked and looked over at Martin.

"Please, my love, don't concern yourself with that. I just wanted you to know that we'll be seeing each other very soon."

"When?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I'll leave instructions at the front desk of your hotel for you. I'll be expecting to see you in the morning. Please don't stand me up."

"Where do I..." she started to say but the line went dead.

"Who was that?" Sam asked.

Martin stared at his sister and from the look in her eyes could tell that she had just been in contact with H.K.

"Just a crank phone call." she replied. "Nothing to worry about."

"It didn't sound like a crank call."

"Sam, it was nothing. You should go home, I'll see you there in the morning."

"Casandra..."

"Please, Sam, just go. I promise, I'll be home in the morning."

Sam didn't want to push his luck with her and decided to leave. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." he said and left the room.

Casandra turned back to Martin. "That was H.K. on the phone."

"I figured it was. What did he say?"

"He wants to see me in the morning."

**TBC...**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Casandra sat on the balcony of her hotel room and looked out at the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip as a cool breeze swept over her. She pulled her sweater coat around her tighter as Martin walked out and handed her a beer.

"Thanks." she said, taking the ice cold beer from him and taking a long swig.

Martin sat down in a chair beside her and took a drink from his own beer. He sighed and looked over at his sister. "It's good to see you, Cas. Even under these circumstances."

"I wish you would have came sooner." Casandra stated.

Martin shook his head. "I can't deal with that, Cassy. They're not my family."

"Yes, they are. No matter how many times you deny it, they are _your _family too. And I know you would learn to love them if you'd give yourself a chance to know them."

"That's the thing, I don't _want _to know them. To know that dad had another family that he chose to be with over us."

Casandra took another swig of her beer and shook her head. "Martin, dad had that _other _family before he ever had us. And he still took care of us. Jennifer even excepted the fact of what he did and wanted to accept us into her family but you turned her away. My God he cheated on his wife and got our mother pregnant with us and his wife accepted us."

Martin stood up from his chair and leaned against the railing of the balcony. "Casandra, I don't want to meet them. I'm here to help you and then I'm going back to Los Angeles."

Casandra rose from her chair, stood next to her brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Martin, at the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, taking down one more bad guy or winning one more battle. You'll regret not getting to know and spending time with your family."

Martin stared out at the lights as he processed what Casandra was saying to him. Maybe he should just swallow his pride and get to know Khandi and Stacey, the two sisters he tried so hard to deny existed. But maybe it was time to get to know them and their families.

Martin sighed. Casandra was right. Family was important. The most important thing in life was family and at that moment he promised himself that when this whole mess was over, he would get to know the family he had been putting off meeting for so long.

Casandra watched Martin for a moment. "Just think about it, okay?"

Martin nodded as Casandra walked back into the hotel room.

* * *

Sam walked into the station and made his way down the hall. He turned a corner and proceeded into the bullpen. He noticed Jim, Andy and John sitting around the table.

"Have you still got that guy you picked up at the halfway house in custody?" Sam asked

Jim looked up. "Yeah, he's down in a holding cell."

"He's not H.K."

"You seem sure of that." Andy said.

"I am. I was just at Cassy's hotel room and I believe she just received a call from him."

"From H.K.?" Jim asked in disbelief.

Sam nodded. "She told me it was a prank call but I didn't buy it for a minute."

"Yet, you left anyway?"

"She was finally talking to me and I didn't want to risk her pushing me away again. Besides Martin's there with her."

"Who the hell is Martin?"

Sam realized that Jim had no idea that Casandra had a brother. Hell, he was married to her and he just found out himself. Sam was about to come up with a story when he remembered that Casandra had asked him not to tell Khandi and Stacey. She said nothing about not telling Jim.

Sam looked at Jim and took a deep breath. "Martin's her brother."

Jim jumped up from his chair. "Her brother!? Since when does she have a brother!?"

"I'm assuming since she was born, Jim. They're twins."

Jim looked at Sam and shook his head. "Twins? I can't believe Cassy has a twin brother and never told us."

"And she doesn't want Khandi and Stacey to know. So, please, don't say anything to your wife."

"Why?"

"Jim, Cas and Martin are twins. Which means Khandi's father..."

"Is also Martin's father." Jim finshed and sat back down on the chair.

"Exactly. But I don't know the whole situation so let's keep it on the QT until we find out everything, okay?"

Jim shook his head. "When Khandi finds out about Martin and that I knew..."

"Don't get ahead of yourself Jim. Let's take this one step at a time okay."

Jim nodded slowly as he processed the information. Andy and John were sitting across the table not sure what to make of the situation but they also knew when not to butt in.

* * *

Stacey, who had just finished helping Comso and Khandi get the older kids to bed, was on her way to Shawn and Mackenzie's nursery with two bottles.

As she entered the room she walked over to Shawn's crib and saw that he was laying there wide awake. "Just a second, little guy, and I'll feed you."

Stacey walked over to Mackenzie's crib and found it empty. She moved the blankets around and then noticed the window was open. She ran over to the open window and as she looked outside she noticed someone dressed in black putting a car seat into the back of an SUV.

Stacey ran from the nursery and up the stairs. "Khandi! Cosmo! Someone took Mackenzie!" she yelled.

Khandi and Cosmo came running from different parts of the house. "What's going on?" Khandi asked.

"Someone took Mackenzie. The window in the nursery was open and when I looked out I saw them putting her in the back of an SUV."

Khandi ran out the front door and Cosmo turned to his wife. "Where's Shawn?"

"He's in his crib." Stacey replied as tears filled her eyes.

"Okay. Go get him and I'll call Sam." Cosmo said. He was still pissed at Sam but with Mackenzie being kidnapped he wasn't going to keep that from him.

* * *

Khandi jumped into her Charger as the SUV sped off down the street. Khandi revved the engine, spun out and took off after the kidnappers.

Since it was the middle of the night, there were hardly any other cars on the road. Khandi kept pace with the SUV as they sped through the side streets of Las Vegas.

* * *

Sam was still in the bullpen when his cell phone went off. He looked down at the caller ID and saw Cosmo's name. "Cosmo?" he answered.

"Sam, someone took Mackenzie." he said on the other end.

"WHAT!?" Sam yelled into the phone. "Who the fuck took her?"

This caught Jim, Andy and John's attention and they looked up at Sam. "What's going on, Sam?" Jim asked.

"We don't know, Sam. Someone climbed in through the nursery window and snatched her from her crib."

"Why wasn't the fucking window locked?"

"It _was_ locked. They cut a hole in the glass and unlocked the window."

"Where's Shawn?" Sam asked on the verge of tears, thinking about some perverted madman having his daughter.

"He's with Stacey." Cosmo replied. "They were just putting her in the SUV when Stacey noticed she was missing. Khandi took off after them."

"I gotta go, Cosmo, I need to call Casandra." Sam stated and hung up.

"What's going on, Sam?" Jim asked again.

"Some asshole took Mackenzie." Sam replied, dialing Casandra's cell number.

* * *

Casandra was sitting on the couch in her hotel room when her cell phone chimed. "Hello." she answered.

"Casandra, my love, how are you this eveing?"

"What do you want?" Casandra asked coldy.

"Now, now, there's no need for that tone."

"Yeah, well, it's the only tone you're getting from me."

"If I were you, Casandra, I'd be more polite to the man who holds your daughter's life in his hands... again."

Casandra bolted up from the couch and Martin looked up from the casefile he had been reading. "What are you talking about?" she asked frantically.

"She really is beautiful. It'd be ashame if you were to lose another daughter."

"You sick fuck! Where is she!?"

"She's fine... for now. But if you want her to stay that way I'd suggest you go down to the front desk and get my instructions. Oh and Casandra?"

"What?"

"Don't be late." he replied and hung up the phone.

Casandra hung up her phone and threw it across the room. "THAT FUCKING PRICK!"

Martin jumped up from his chair and quickly went to Casandra. "What did he say?"

"He took Mackenzie, Martin. That fucking psycho took my daughter."

Suddenly her cell phone went off again and she started towards it. Martin grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Do you trust me, Cassy?" he asked.

"You know I do."

"Then let's do this my way." he replied.

Casandra looked at her brother and nodded. He pulled her out the door as her phone continued to ring on the floor.

* * *

Sam held his phone to his ear as it continued to ring. "Shit! She's not answering."

"Sam, what exactly did Cosmo say on the phone?" Jim asked.

"Just that someone took Mackenzie and that Khandi was in pursuit."

"Khandi's following them?"

"That's what he said." Sam replied. Jim stood up from the table and walked over to the door. "Where are you going?"

"To CSI. I'm gonna have Archie track Khandi's GPS and he can keep us updated with her location."

* * *

Cosmo had called Sofia and Vartann to stay with Stacey and the kids while he followed Khandi in his truck. He had been talking to Sam from his car as he pursued.

He had caught up with Khandi and the SUV on Jefferson and had been hot on their trail ever since. He may have been fed up with Casandra pushing them away and Sam treating him like shit but he wasn't about to stand by and let some asshole get away with kidnapping their daughter.

* * *

Martin and Casandra approached the front desk and were greeted by the concierge. "Can I help you?"

"I believe you have a note for me. Casandra Gerard."

"Oh, yes, it's right here." he replied and handed her the envelope.

Casandra took it from him and tore it open. She pulled out the piece of paper and unfolded it. " My Dearest Casandra,' " she read out loud. "I wish the fuck he would stop calling me that! 'Meet me in the desert, under the stars. I'll be waiting for you at the old military bunker out in Blue Diamond. Please, don't keep me waiting. Mackenzie's life depends on it. Yours forever, H.K.' "

"Do you know where this place is?" Martin asked.

"Yeah, I do. We had a case out there a while back."

"Okay, you drive."

* * *

Jim was speeding in his Charger. Sam was sitting shotgun and Andy and John were in the back. Archie was keeping in contact with them over the radio to update them on Khandi's location.

"Okay, she just turned off the I-15 and is heading toward Blue Diamond." Archie said.

"Roger, that." Sam said over the comm.

* * *

Khandi was hot the SUV's trail. She kept pace with it all the way out to Blue Diamond. She noticed that the SUV had suddenly come to a stop. She eased her foot on the brake and slowed the Charger down.

She came to a stop and let the Charger idle. She watched two men exit the SUV and meet up with a third man that had come out of the bunker.

Khandi heard a car approach her rear and she looked in her mirror. She recognized Cosmo's truck and she shut off her engine. She opened the car door, got out and made her way back to Cosmo's truck.

"How did you know where to find me?" Khandi asked as he rolled down his window.

"I hauled ass right after you left. I caught up with you on Jefferson."

Khandi looked back and noticed the three men still standing outside the bunker. "There's three of them."

Cosmo looked toward the bunker and saw the men. "Did you get a visual on Mackenzie?"

"No. She's still in the SUV."

Cosmo shut the engine off and got out of the truck. He looked around the area and noticed a sparse scattering of bushes but not much else.

"Okay, I'm gonna try and distract them while you get Mackenzie out of the SUV and into your car." Cosmo said.

Khandi looked at Cosmo with a worried look on her face but nodded. She was up for anything as long as it meant saving Mackenzie. "Okay. But Cosmo, be careful."

"Don't worry about me. Just get the baby."

* * *

Casandra turned down the dirt road that led to Blue Diamond. When she was halfway down she stopped the car and Martin jumped out with his sniper rifle.

Casandra kept driving toward the bunker.

Martin started running across the desert to find a decent position to setup and be able to take them out. He ran until he came up to two bushes and perched his sniper rifle in the dirt between them.

He looked through the scope and could see the three men standing outside the bunker.

Casandra pulled up to the bunker, shut the engine off and got out of the car. The three men turned when they heard the car approach.

A man stepped forward and leered at her. "Casandra, so good to finally see you."

"Where's my daughter!?" she yelled.

"All in good time, my love. For now, please come with me."

"Show me my daughter first and then I'll go quietly." Casandra replied and knew at that moment she was finally looking at the face of the real H.K.

H.K. turned and nodded to one of his men. The man turned and headed toward the SUV. At that moment Khandi was coming up from the otherside. As the man approached the vehicle he heard footsteps on the otherside and doubled around the back. He pulled a knife from the sheath on his waist and as Khandi eased the door on the truck open he jumped her from behind.

Khandi brought her elbow up and hit the man in the side of the head and he went down but not before cutting her side in the process.

She grabbed her side and then stepped on the man's hand that held the knife. He let it go, Khandi grabbed it and stabbed him through the neck.

"What's taking so long?" H.K. called out.

His man couldn't answer because he was dead on the ground with a knife sticking out of his neck and Khandi didn't either because she didn't want to make her presence known. She checked her side and determined that the wound could be dealt with later. She had to get Mackenzie to safety.

Martin was still in the bushes with his sniper rifle trained on the second man. H.K. took a step toward Casandra and she pulled a grenade out of her pocket.

"Take another step closer and we all go." she said.

"Now don't be foolish, Casandra." H.K. replied. He then pulled a gun out from the back of his pants and pointed it at her. "I want you to tell your bother to get his ass out here. Now!"

Casandra shook her head and placed her finger on the pin of the grenade, getting ready to pull it out. Just then H.K. let a shot off and hit her in the arm.

She dropped the grenade and lunged toward H.K. Another gunshot went off and H.K.'s second man fell dead to the ground.

Martin looked up from his spot in the bushes and noticed Casandra and H.K. struggling. He jumped up and started running toward the scene.

As he got close enough, he saw H.K. grab Casandra's injured arm and she dropped to her knees. He lifted his gun up and pointed it at her head. "Get your brother out here now, Casandra. I'm not asking you again!"

"Fuck you!" Casandra spat.

Just as his finger wrapped around the trigger Martin pointed his rifle at H.K. and zeroed in on him through the scope. But before he had a chance to fire, a gunshot rang out and H.K. dropped to the ground.

Martin ran toward Casandra as H.K. fell on top of her, pining her to the ground. "Cassy!" Martin yelled.

"Get this motherfucker off of me!" Casandra yelled as Martin dropped down beside her. He pushed H.K. off of her and pulled her into a hug. "You got him!"

"No. It wasn't me."

Casandra looked at her brother in confusion. "Then who was it?"

Just the Cosmo came walking toward them as Jim was speeding up in his Charger with an ambulance in tow. Cosmo walked over to Casandra and Martin. "Are you okay, Cas?"

Casandra looked up at Cosmo in shock. "You shot him Cosmo?"

Cosmo nodded as Sam ran over to the small group. "Cassy, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Sam. Cosmo saved me."

Sam looked up at Cosmo and before he could say anything Cosmo just walked away. He watched Cosmo walk off and then turned his attention back to his wife. "Where's Mackenzie?" he asked as Jim walked up.

"She's with Khandi." Jim replied.

"Khandi's here too?" Casandra asked.

Jim nodded. "She's over there in the bus getting checked out."

"For what?"

"She was stabbed trying to save Mackenzie."

Casandra looked at Jim and then made her way over to the bus. Khandi was sitting in the back getting her side stitched up. "You saved Mackenzie."

"Well, it would have gone a lot smoother if you hadn't of ran in here playing cowboy." Khandi replied.

Casandra smiled at Khandi. "Thank you."

"Anytime, sis, anytime."

**TBC...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

/Later that day/

Casandra and Martin walked into the house. Casandra had her arm in a sling, "Hellooo..." she called out as they walked up the stairs.

"Aunty Casa!" Little Sammy called out running to the baby gate at the start of the stairs.

"Hey, little guy." She said stepping over the baby gate.

"Who's dat?" He asked, pointing at Martin, who was stepping over the baby gate.

Casandra smirked at Martin. "That's your..."

"Your Uncle Martin." Martin finished.

Casandra was shocked that he admitted it again. And Little Sammy was confused, then turned around and took off to the kitchen.

"You're getting there." Casandra said to Martin as they rounded the corner.

Martin looked into the kitchen and was shocked. Seven children were sitting at the table with Sam, Khandi, and Jim. Cosmo was out on the deck and Stacey was walking over to the table with a pitcher of orange juice.

"Hey, Cas. Who's your friend?" Stacey asked setting down the pitcher.

Casandra took a deep breath, "Here it goes." She said then turned to the children. "Kids, why don't you go outside and play. We need to talk."

The older children got up and took off running outside yelling and laughing. Cosmo came inside as Stacey sat down at the table.

"Cos, can you sit down at the table. We need to talk. All of us." Casandra said.

"Yeah, okay." Cosmo replied, grabbing a seat.

"Cassy, what's going on?" Stacey asked.

Martin sat down on one of the stools from the island. And Casandra stood beside him.

"Okay, after all that has happened with H.K. I think there's something you all need to know." She said. "Something I never told you guys."

"Let me guess." Khandi said. "It has something to do with him."

"Yes." Martin said. "And it wasn't her choice to keep this from you."

"It was his." Casandra added.

"Okay. But what the hell is it?" Khandi asked.

"And who the hell are you?" Cosmo asked.

"Martin Riggs." Martin answered.

Everyone but Sam, Jim and the twins looked confused. "Riggs?" Stacey asked.

"Khandi, Stacey. This is your brother. Our brother." Casandra answered.

"Cool." Stacey said. "But how?"

Casandra leaned against the island. "We're twins."

Khandi, Stacey and Cosmo were shocked. "Twins?" Cosmo asked.

"Okay, let me get this straight. You had a twin brother all this time and you never told us?" Khandi asked, shocked.

"When I found out that our father had another family, I didn't want to accept it. When Cas moved here and told me she made contact with you, I denied that you guys even exsisted." Martin explained.

"Why the change of heart?" Sam asked.

"Because, he just lost his wife to H.K." Casandra answered. "And we're the only family he's got left."

Sam looked at Casandra and then at Martin. H.K. had taken so much from their family. But at least he couldn't hurt them anymore. "I'm sorry, Martin." Sam said.

Martin nodded, a little choked up at thinking about Vicky. "Thank you. But at least the bastard's dead now."

Before anyone had a chance to speak the phone rang. Khandi answered. "Hello."

"Khandi? It's Catherine. I've got some info on H.K. for you guys if you want to come in."

Khandi looked around at the group. "Yeah, okay, we'll be there in an hour." she replied and hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Jim asked taking a sip of his coffee.

"Catherine." Khandi replied. "She's got some info on H.K. for us."

Casandra sighed. "Maybe now we'll finally find out who this asshole really is."

An hour later, the Cavalry and Martin made their way into the station. They walked into the bullpen and saw Andy and John sitting at the table. Andy looked up when he saw the group walk in. "I usually like to be more hands on with cases I'm involved in but around you bunch there was no chance." Andy smirked.

Jim walked over to Andy and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We appreciate you making the trip out here anyway."

"Hey, I'm just glad we got the asshole. That's all that matters."

Before anyone else had a chance to speak, Catherine made her way into the bullpen. She held up the file in her hand as she sat down at the table. "Doc Robbins did the autopsy, although I don't know why, we know what killed the bastard. Anyway, I ran his prints and it appears he was ex-military. A man by the name of Harley Kreuger. Was dishonorably discharged for misconduct and fell off the map since leaving the service."

"I think we know now what he's been up to." Cosmo stated.

"Harley Kreuger." Casandra said out loud. "So that's what H.K. really stands for."

"It would appear so." Catherine replied.

"He's gone. Who cares what it stands for." Khandi stated.

"What about the other two guys that were with him?" Sam asked.

"Apparently just a couple of street thugs. Jasper Prescott and Mason Barnes. They both had only minor stuff in their records. I'd say H.K. hired them to help him out."

"Well, at least they can't hurt anyone anymore. That's all that matters." John stated.

"Okay, let's get out of here and celebrate." Jim replied and looked at Cosmo. "Call Stacey, have her get a babysitter and meet us at McMullin's Pub. She deserves a night out too."

"Yes she does." Cosmo replied and pulled out his cell phone.

The large group, which included the Cavalry, Stacey, Andy, John and Martin assembled in McMullin's Pub. They had invited the CSI's to join them but none of them were able to make it.

They had a few tables pushed together and had a round of drinks delivered, which included a club soda with lime for Andy.

They all raised their glasses and toasted the fact that H.K. or Harley Kreuger for that matter could no longer torment their lives or anyone elses.

As the night wore on, everyone was having a great time but Sam and Martin had clung to Casandra's side and Sam wasn't too happy when she wanted to talk to Andy alone.

"Cassy, stay here with me, please." Sam said.

"Sam, I'm just going to talk to Andy. I'll be okay." she said walking over to the other side of the room.

John had been sitting at the table sipping on a beer and watching Sam and Casandra. He knew that Sam was jealous of Casandra and Andy and had to laugh at the situation.

John walked over to Andy. "Hey, Andy, let me have your wallet for a minute."

"What for?" Andy asked confused.

"Just trust me okay." John said and held his hand out. Andy pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed it to John.

As John walked away, Casandra came up next Andy. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing to worry about." Andy replied.

John walked over to Sam and pulled him aside. "Can we talk for a minute?" John asked.

"Sure." Sam replied.

"Okay, I know you're jealous of Andy and Casandra." John stated and Sam glared at him. "Just hear me out." He opened Andy's wallet and pulled a picture of Connie out. "Look at this."

Sam took the picture from John and looked down that the beautiful blonde woman. "Who's this?"

"That's Connie." John replied. "Andy's wife. Now does she look like someone he would cheat on?"

Sam looked at the picture again. She had to be at least 20 years younger than Andy and he somehow felt calmer knowing that Andy had a beautiful wife and couldn't possibly be making a move on Casandra.

"Trust me, Sam, he would never cheat on Connie. Not just because she's beautiful but because he loves her and would never do anything to hurt her."

Sam nodded and handed the photo back to John.

Meanwhile on the other side of the pub Casandra was talking to Andy. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me through all this." she said.

Andy nodded. "I'm glad I could give you perpective on your situation. We all have hard times and we all deal with them differently. And although it took _me _awhile to learn, it helps to have a support system to help you through your tough times. Just remember that. Don't shut your family out anymore."

"I realize that now. I'm just glad I figured it out before it was too late and they gave up on me competely."

"They all really love you, Casandra. You're lucky to be part of such a great group of people."

Casandra looked across the room at the people she had come to love in her life and smiled at them. "Yeah, I am. And I'm glad I met you and John too."

"Same here." Andy said and hugged her. "I'm glad everything worked out for you and you can finally have some closure for your family."

Casandra wrapped her arms around Andy and returned the hug. "So am I. At least now they can finally rest in peace."

Andy pulled back from her and smiled as Jim walked up to them. "Can I borrow this guy from you for a second, Cassy?" Jim asked.

"Sure." she said and hugged Andy again. "Thanks again for being here for me, Andy."

"Anytime, kiddo." Andy replied as she walked away.

Jim looked at Andy and held out his hand. "It was good to see you again, Andy."

Andy shook Jim's hand. "You too, Jim. Sorry it was under these circumstances but at least we got the bastard."

Jim nodded. "Yeah." he replied and pulled Andy over to the bar. "Let me buy you a drink." Jim looked at the bartender. "A club soda with lime for my friend here and scotch for me."

"Still drinking the good stuff, hey Jim?"

"Yeah, with the stuff we deal with, I need it." Jim replied. "How long have you been on the wagon?"

"Fourteen years." Andy stated.

Before Jim could respond, Khandi walked up to them. "How's it going, boys?" she asked and she put her arms around both Jim and Andy.

"Couldn't be better, sweetheart." Jim replied.

"At least we have something to celebrate." Andy added, raising his glass.

Jim looked over at Andy. "You staying in town for a while?"

Andy shook his head. "I didn't want to come here in the first place. I hate change and I can't wait to get back to New York and my family."

Khandi leaned on Andy and sighed. "That's a shame. I was hoping to get to know you better. Maybe hear a few stories about my better half. I'm sure you got some of those."

Andy smirked as he noticed Jim squirming on his stool. "Oh, I got some stories..."

"It's too bad Andy has to get to back to New York." Jim interrupted.

"Well, he's not leaving tonight." Khandi replied. "So, we got some time."

"Honey, you don't want to hear boring old stories about me."

Andy wasn't going to make this situation easier on him. He looked at Khandi and smiled. "Believe me, they're hardly boring."

Jim shook his head. "You traitor. Whatever happened to loyalty?"

"Okay, Jim, I won't embarrass you." Andy laughed and then leaned in and whispered to Khandi. "We'll talk later."

Across the pub, Casandra walked over to the table and sat down next to Cosmo. "Hey, why are you so quiet tonight?"

"No real reason." Cosmo answered.

Casandra shook her head, "C'mon, something's bugging you."

Cosmo didn't answer, he just took a swig of his drink.

"Cos, let's go outside. You can have a cigar and I'll have a smoke." She said and grabbed his arm and started to drag him to the door.

Half way there they saw Martin walking up to them."Where are you guys going?"

"Outside to talk, we'll be right back." Casandra said as she continued dragging Cosmo to the front door.

Once outside she looked at him. "I understand that when this whole ordeal happened I pushed you away too. But what's happening between you and Sam?"

Cosmo sighed, "He's just a fucking ass. After the last murder, Sam and I had a fight, and he stated that we weren't friends. Hell, he and I have been through so much, Cas!"

Casandra lit her smoke. "Cosmo, I know Sam, and he didn't mean what he said. With everything that has happened, he was under a shit load of stress. Think about it, this way..." She paused and took a drag of her smoke. "Put yourself in his shoes. What if it happened to Stacey? Instead of me."

Cosmo took a puff of his cigar and thought about it. What if it had been Stacey? He understood now, why Sam said the things he did. But that still doesn't make it right. It still hurt.

At that moment, Sam made an appearance. Casandra looked at Cosmo and then over at her husband. She walked over to Sam and placed a hand on his arm. "Talk to him." she said and made her way back into the bar.

Cosmo leaned against the building, puffing on his cigar. Sam walked over and stood next to him. "Okay, Cosmo, what's with the mood?" Sam asked.

Cosmo looked up at the sky, sighed and shook his head. Sam just didn't get it. And something told Cosmo that he never would. "What do you care, Sam? We're not friends, remember?"

Sam leaned against the building and glanced over at Cosmo. He now knew why Cosmo had been so cold and distant toward him and he cursed himself. Sometimes Sam spoke without thinking and that had been one of his rare boneheaded moments.

"You're right, Cosmo, weren't not friends."

Cosmo looked at over at Sam and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Khandi had told him that Sam didn't mean what he was saying because at the time he was worried about Casandra but now there was no denying what Sam was saying. No one was in trouble now and here Sam was still telling Cosmo that they weren't friends.

Before Cosmo could say anything, Sam continued. "I've always considered you more like a brother than a friend."

That statement shocked Cosmo even more and he started to feel a little choked up. He looked into Sam's eyes and knew that Sam meant what he was saying. "I appreciate you saying that, Sammy."

Sam placed a hand on Cosmo's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I didn't give a damn about you. We've been through too much and you're too important to me to just write you off like you mean nothing."

Cosmo could feel the tears stinging the back of his eyes. "I... I... don't know what to say."

Sam smirked at Cosmo's speechlessness. "You don't need to say anything, Cosmo. Just forgive me for my stupid ignorance."

Cosmo smiled as the tears finally fell down his cheeks. "How can I not after that." he replied and pulled Sam into a hug.

Sam hugged him back, glad to have his relationship with Cosmo back on course. The two men pulled apart and looked at each other. "Okay, what do you say we go back inside so I can kick your ass at a game of pool." Sam said, walking toward the door.

Cosmo followed him. "Keep dreaming, pal. You've never beat me at pool in your life."

Sam looked back over his shoulder. "Yeah, well, I'm feeling lucky tonight."

They made their way into the pub. Casandra was sitting at the bar with Martin and looked over as they entered. They looked relatively happy and she was sure that they had worked things out.

She turned back to her drink and looked over at her brother. "So, what are doing sitting here with me? You should be getting to know Khandi and Stacey."

Martin looked across the pub. Stacey was by the pool table watching Cosmo and Sam and Khandi was sitting at a table with Jim, Andy and John.

"I wouldn't know what to say." he replied.

"Hi is a good start."

He picked up his beer and took a swig when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "So, how's it going?"

Casandra smiled as Martin turned and came face to face with Stacey. "Okay." he replied.

Stacey sat down on a stool next to Martin and ordered a vodka cooler from the bartender. "You know we all need to get to know each other better. After all we are family now." Stacey said as Casandra walked over to the pool table.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Martin replied as Khandi walked up to the bar.

She looked at Martin and then over to Stacey. "Getting to know our brother here?" she asked as the bartender walked up.

"Trying." Stacey replied as Khandi ordered a Bud.

"Not a talker, eh, Marty?"

Martin looked over at Khandi like she had grown a second head. Never in his life could he remember anyone calling him Marty. Not even Casandra. He smirked and shook his head.

"I say something funny?" Khandi asked as she took a swig of her beer.

"Not really. Just not used to being called Marty. That's all."

"Sorry. I can try to call you Martin but I'm not making any promises." Khandi smiled.

Martin smiled back. "Don't worry about it."

Khandi moved closer and Stacey put her arm around Martin. "So, what are your plans now? You gonna stick around for awhile so we can get to know our _baby _brother?" Stacey asked, smirking at calling him their baby brother.

Martin shook his head again. Amused with his new sisters. "I was thinking about heading back to L.A. soon." he said as Casandra joined her siblings.

"You're not gonna stay here?" she asked after hearing her brother's comment.

"I told you I was going back to L.A., Cassy."

"Yeah, I know. But that was when you didn't want to get to know these two."

"Yeah what's that about?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah, we're cute and lovable." Khandi added. "How could you not want to know us?"

Before Martin could reply, they heard Cosmo from across the pub. "Son of a bitch! I can't believe you actually beat me!"

"I told you I was feeling lucky, Cosmo. Never question my abilites." Sam smiled.

Khandi looked at Cosmo and Sam. "Well, well, looks like they're getting along again."

Casandra nodded. "Yeah. I left them outside. I figured they'd either work things out or kill each other."

Over at the pool table, Jim, Andy and John had joined Cosmo and Sam. "I'll take the winner." Jim said.

Sam grabbed his pool cue and looked at Jim. "Step right up, Jimmy. I've got no qualms about beating you too."

Andy shook his head and looked at Jim. "I don't think he knows what he's in for, Jim."

Jim picked out a pool cue from the rack on the wall as Sam racked the balls. Khandi, Stacey, Martin and Casandra walked over and joined the group.

Jim broke and sunk three balls on the break, two solids and a stripe. The table was now open and Jim lined up his next shot. "Three in the side pocket." Jim called.

He shot and the ball went sailing directly into the side pocket. "Great shot, Jimmy." Khandi cheered.

"Looks like you're solids, Jim." Sam stated as Jim lined up his next shot.

Jim missed his next shot and Sam took his turn. Sam sunk his next two shots until he missed. It continued like this until they both had a ball each left, plus the eight ball.

Jim sunk his ball but missed the eight ball. Sam also sunk his ball but to Jim's dismay Sam actually sunk the eight ball and won the game.

"Shit!" Jim cursed.

"I told you. I'm feeling lucky tonight. Who's next?" Sam asked.

Khandi took her jacket off. She was wearing a tank top underneath. She looked at Sam and then over to Jim and Cosmo. "Okay, boys, let a woman show you how it's done." she said. "But first..." She walked over to the jukebox and selected her favorite song of the moment: _Living On The Outside _by _Meat Loaf_.

As the song started she walked back over to the table. "You can break Sam." Khandi said as she took a cue from the rack.

Cosmo racked the balls for them and then stepped away from the table as Sam lined up his shot to break. As he did, Meat Loaf's powerful voice came on over the speakers:

_I've got steel on my fingers, granite on my breath_

_A bottle in one ear and a spike in my chest_

_A nickel in my boot and my finger in a dam_

_I hang out with a bunch of losers I call my friends and we sing_

_Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh_

Sam sunk two ball on his break and continued. He sunk another ball and called stripes for himself. He missed the next shot and Khandi took over.

"Nice song you chose, Khan." Stacey said.

Khandi smiled. "This song kicks ass. Just listen to it." she said and took her shot. She sunk the ball, plus the next two.

_But I'm heading out today, I'm going down Elijah's way_

_Spinning wheels on fire, with my speed needle between my jeans_

_So darling, show me what you're hiding behind that ring_

_Behind your pink silouette, young lust balcony_

_Come on baby, just ride with me_

_Come on baby, just ride with me_

_Come on baby, just ride with me_

Sam sunk the next ball but missed after that. Khandi did the same thing.

_We got two thousand miles between here and home_

_They won't even know we're gone_

_I got my mama's smile and my daddy's gun_

_You got your honest face and your liar's tongue_

_Until Armageddon takes me_

_It's just you and me baby_

_Running like the only sinners left_

_Loving like the only sinners left_

_Living like the only sinners left alive_

_Living on the outside_

Sam and Khandi were both down to one ball each plus the eight ball. They both missed their shots but Khandi made hers on the next, while Sam missed his shot.

_I got one shot to steal this world_

_If you wanna go with me you can be my girl_

_Here's a bullet for your thoughts and a penny for the train_

_Next time I'm here they'll be digging my grave_

_Come on baby, just ride with me_

_Come on baby, just ride with me_

_We got two thousand miles between here and home_

_They won't even know we're gone_

_I got my mama's smile and my daddy's gun_

_You got your honest face and your liar's tongue_

Sam finally sunk his ball on the next shot but missed the eight ball. Khandi lined up her shot and called it. "Eight ball, corner pocket." she said and hit the cue ball.

_Until Armageddon takes me_

_It's just you and my baby_

_Running like the only sinners left_

_Loving like the only sinners left_

_Living like the only sinners left alive _

_Living on the outside_

_Living on the outside (hey hey hey)_

_Living on the outside (oh, yeah yeah, living)_

_Living on the outside (yeah yeah yeah yeah, ooh)_

_Living on the outside (oh yeah, oh yeah, oh hey)_

The cue ball spun and headed straight for the eight ball, hitting it and sending it directly into the side pocket. Sam couldn't believe his eyes.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how it's done." Khandi said and dropped her pool cue on the table. "Now let's get a drink and enjoy the rest of this kick ass song."

_Well, if I gotta go, I'm gonna go in style_

_You're gonna find me running down that Cavalry mile_

_A beggar's son on the potter's tree_

"Did I just hear the word Cavalry in that song?" Casandra asked

Khandi nodded and smiled. "Yeah. That's one of my favorite lines in the whole song. Makes me want to jump on my motorcycle and head out to the desert."

"You have a motorcycle?" Martin asked.

"Yeah." Khandi replied. "It's in storage right now. I haven't been driving it much since the kids came along. Jimmy has one too."

_Come on, baby just ride with me_

_Come on, baby just ride with me_

_Come on, baby just ride with me_

_Come on!_

_Come on!_

_We got two-thousand miles between here and home_

_They won't even know we're gone_

_I got my mama's smile and my daddy's gun_

_Bring your honest face and your liar's tongue_

_Until Armageddon takes me_

_It's just you and my baby_

_Running like the only sinners left_

_Living like the only sinners left_

_Loving like the only sinners left alive_

_Living on the outside... _

The song ended and everyone sat around the tables and drank more in celebration of having caught H.K. A few hours later, the night was coming to an end and everyone was finally leaving the bar.

They were all standing out on the sidewalk. "Well, we'll be leaving in the morning." Andy said. "So, I guess we can say goodbye now."

Khandi wrapped her arm around Andy's shoulder. "Thanks for all your help, Andy." she said.

Andy nodded. "Just glad we got him."

The following day, Andy and John had gone back to New York and Martin was sitting in the Cavalry's dining room having breakfast with the large group.

"So, Martin, what are your plans?" Stacey asked.

Casandra looked over at Martin. "He's gonna be moving here, right Martin?"

Martin sighed but then smiled. "Yeah, I've decided that's what I want to do. I just have to go back to L.A. to tie up some loose ends first."

"Well," Khandi said. "Welcome to the family, Marty."

Martin smiled at Khandi. "Thank you."

**The End!**

**A/N: There will be a fourth story in the series - just not sure when!  
**


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